Chelsea confirm 22-man travelling squad to face Panathinaikos in Conference League
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea squad has been confirmed for their Conference League fixture against Panathinaikos.
The Blues have arrived in Athens as they prepare to face off against Panathinaikos in matchday two of the UEFA Conference League.
While Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer were all left out of Chelsea's European squad as Maresca looks to protect his players from picking up injuries, a handful of their team-mates have also been left at home while the squad travel to Greece.
There is positive news for the Blues, with Filip Jorgensen available after missing out on the matchday squad against Liverpool.
Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Lucas Bergstrom
Defenders: Axel Disasi, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Renato Veiga
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Cesare Casadei, Tyrique George, Samuel Rak-Sakyi
Attackers: Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Marc Guiu, Christopher Nkunku, Shumaira Mheuka
Absent: Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Reece James, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Malo Gusto, Moises Caicedo, Josh Acheampong
When asked about the absense of Palmer and his team-mates, who all started at Liverpool on Sunday, Maresca explained: "The reason Cole [Palmer] is not in the squad, I said many times.
"We are protecting players from injury and different reasons."
Maresca also continued to admit that he would have liked to have given Josh Acheampong a chance to impress in Greece, but the 18-year-old was left out of the team amid reports regarding his contract situation at the club.
"To be honest, I feel a bit shame for Josh because I think this kind of games could be an opportunity for him," he admitted.
"I had a chat with him personally about three weeks ago about his [contract] situation. The chat was very good, positive.
"It's a shame because I really think that Josh, potentially can be a top player. He's still 18, very young. Many things can change for him but in terms of his future he can be very important for Chelsea. It's so important for the club, our intention is to not lose him.
"The first thing we need to do is find a solution for his future. He needs to get minutes, enjoy and play football. It's a bad situation in this moment for him. I don't know if the people that try and solve this problem are helping him or not. I really like Josh and I'd like to have him here with us but it is not possible."
With youngsters Samuel Rak-Sakyi and Shumaira Mheuka joining Tyrique George in the squad, the trio will be looking to impress if they are handed the opportunity under Maresca.
