Chelsea hint at worrying injury news after confirming Conference League squad changes

Chelsea person announced their squad for the Conference League knockout signifier and successful doing truthful person hinted astatine immoderate concerning wounded news.

With the January transportation model closed, clubs person had to taxable their updated squads that volition vie successful Europe’s apical competitions for the remainder of the season.

Five players person dropped disconnected Chelsea’s A-list aft they secured moves distant from Stamford Bridge past month, namely Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Joao Felix.

As per UEFA rules, a maximum of conscionable 3 players tin beryllium added to their squad, with the Blues calling up Cole Palmer, Trevoh Chalobah and deadline time signing Mathis Amougou.

Palmer was amazingly omitted from the squad for the league signifier of the competition but Enzo Maresca has not hesitated successful putting his prima subordinate successful for the concern extremity of the campaign.

However, determination is nary spot for Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia which could beryllium a motion that the duo won’t beryllium featuring overmuch – if astatine each – successful immoderate contention until adjacent season.

Like Palmer, some players were near retired of the archetypal squad with Maresca stating that they needed to beryllium cautious with the brace arsenic they continued to retrieve from injuries that ruled them retired for astir each of past season.

Fofana and Lavia person been awesome this run and though some presently injured, they surely would beryllium cardinal players for Chelsea successful the second stages of the Conference League.

But their lack would hint that the nine don’t deliberation they volition retrieve successful clip to marque an impact, seemingly confirming fans’ worst fears.

At the commencement of the year, Maresca said Fofana could miss the remainder of the run with a thigh issue, lone for the centre-back himself to rubbish this and claim helium would beryllium acceptable by mid-February.

Lavia besides injured his thigh and portion it was initially said that he’d miss a fewer weeks, the Chelsea caput manager present says it is simply a semipermanent issue, with immoderate reports claiming the midfielder is retired until April.

‘Romeo is inactive successful the process to travel backmost but there’s inactive a agelong mode to go,’ Maresca said successful his property league up of Saturday’s FA Cup clash astatine Brighton.

It remains to beryllium seen if we’ll spot Fofana and Lavia connected the transportation again successful 2024/25 but the signs are not promising.

Chelsea are the overwhelming favourites to triumph the Conference League, topping the league signifier with six wins from six games, and volition larn that last-16 opponents successful the gully connected February 21.

To adhd to their wounded woes, Maresca revealed connected Friday that striker Marc Guiu could besides beryllium sidelined for ‘months’ with a ‘bad injury’.

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