Cole Palmer and Ben Chilwell are among four senior players left out of Chelsea’s Conference League squad, as the club aims to manage workloads during a demanding season that could see them play around 80 matches across five competitions according to reports. England forward Palmer, along with midfielder Romeo Lavia and defender Wesley Fofana, were omitted from the squad to prioritize rest and recovery. Palmer has been rested for the league phase of Europe’s third-tier competition, while Lavia and Fofana are still working their way back from long-term injuries.
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The trio can be re-registered for the knockout stages in February when squads can be resubmitted. In their place, Chelsea has opted for young talents Cesare Casadei, Carney Chukwuemeka, and striker Marc Guiu, as manager Enzo Maresca seeks to distribute playing time and develop fringe players in a tournament Chelsea is heavily favored to win.
Ben Chilwell’s omission, however, signals a deeper issue. The left-back has fallen out of favor and has been told by Maresca that he has no future at the club. Despite Chelsea’s involvement in multiple competitions, Chilwell is not expected to feature this season. The 27-year-old has been offered to several Premier League clubs, and with transfer talks linking him to Turkey, where the window remains open, his time at Stamford Bridge appears to be coming to an end. It remains uncertain whether Chilwell will even train with Chelsea’s first-team squad moving forward.
Chelsea has included new signing Jadon Sancho in the squad, who had joined on-loan from Manchester United on deadline day.
Chelsea’s squad for Conference League
Player List A
Robert Sanchez
Filip Jorgensen
Lucas Bergstrom
Axel Disasi
Marc Cucurella
Tosin Adarabioyo
Benoit Badiashile
Reece James
Malo Gusto
Renato Veiga
Enzo Fernandez
Noni Madueke
Carney Chukwuemeka
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Moises Caicedo
Cesare Casadei
Pedro Neto
Mykhailo Mudryk
Joao Felix
Nicolas Jackson
Christopher Nkunku
Jadon Sancho
Marc Guiu
Player List B
Levi Colwill
Josh Acheampong
Kiano Dyer
Tyrique George
Harrison McMahon
Max Merrick