Chelsea will make a round trip of over 6,000km on Thursday when the visit Kazakhstan to face Astana in the Conference League in freezing conditions.
It’s unlikely to be a journey that Chelsea players or staff are overly excited about given the length and difficulty of such a venture but the Blues will be determined to make it worthwhile on the pitch. Victory midweek would be a sixth straight triumph in all competitions for Enzo Maresca’s side and would maintain their perfect league phase record.
The Italian is likely to field a drastically different lineup to the one that beat Tottenham Hotspur in a 4-3 thriller on Sunday afternoon. A number of academy players are expected to be on the plane to Kazakhstan and some of the club’s peripheral figures should be handed starts.
Here is how Chelsea could line up on Thursday.
GK: Filip Jorgensen – Jorgensen has been Maresca’s number two between the sticks this season, sparkling on the occasions he’s come into the team. The summer recruit has been mightily impressive in the Conference League.
RB: Richard Olise – With Chelsea short on right-backs, academy star Olise could come into the lineup. The 20-year-old, who is the brother of Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, has been added to the Blues’ Conference League squad list ahead of Thursday’s clash.
CB: Axel Disasi – After an error-strewn performance against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup at the end of October, Disasi has markedly improved in recent weeks. The Frenchman has scored twice in his last three outings.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo – While Maresca is likely to hand youngsters an opportunity on Thursday, there will still be plenty of experienced talent on show. Adarabioyo is one of those who will come into the team having seldom been used in the Premier League.
LB: Renato Veiga – The versatile Veiga has been a Conference League regular this term, largely impressing when taking to the field. The Portuguese’s ability to function in a range of roles could come in handy in Kazakhstan.
DM: Sam Rak-Sakyi – The 19-year-old made his Chelsea debut in the 8-0 thrashing of Noah on Matchday 3 and has twice been an unused substitute in the Conference League. The highly-rated midfielder could earn a first start on Thursday.
DM: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – Dewsbury-Hall has the unfortunate task of battling Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia for a starting berth. That’s £279m worth of midfielders. Still, he’s being kept fresh in the Conference League.
RW: Tyrique George – George has been given several opportunities in the cup competitions this term and is one of the club’s most promising young talents. The 18-year-old should make his seventh appearance for the Blues midweek.
AM: Carney Chukwuemeka – Chukwuemeka’s injury struggles have proved frustrating in his development at Chelsea. The attacking midfielder hasn’t started a single game this season and must prove his worth in Europe when handed the chance.
LW: Joao Felix – Felix may be among the first-teamers considered too precious for the trip to Kazakhstan but the Portuguese only made an incredibly brief cameo at the weekend. Felix has scored four times in the Conference League this term.
ST: Marc Guiu – Minutes have been tough to come by for Guiu over recent months given the incredible form of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku. Having scored his first Chelsea goal against Noah a month ago, he’ll be aiming to add to his tally on a cold evening.
