Team Selection and Load Management:
Enzo Maresca’s starting XI that faced Brentford looked much more like the heavily rotated sides fans have become accustomed to watching in the Conference League, as opposed to one that was looking to seize an opportunity to win a West London derby and stake a claim on Champions League football next season.
The inference of resting Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson is perhaps obvious: they were struggling with a congested fixture list and were spared for fear of injury, but could suggest that they are both required, in Maresca’s view, to overcome Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
I would suggest that any iteration of our current squad should secure a comfortable win against Legia, on paper. However, they have beaten Real Betis, one of the more reputable teams in the tournament, on their way to this quarter-final, and also defeated Aston Villa 3-2 at the Polish Army Stadium last year.
Squad players who have featured more heavily in the Conference League, such as Tyrique George or Josh Acheampong, will need to be up for the challenge and ready to step up if required to secure a result in the Conference League which could have important repercussions domestically.
Should our more talented players be required, then their playing time needs to be managed tactfully, considering the importance of our remaining Premier League fixtures. If there are fitness concerns, then it would be devastating to potentially lose one of Reece James, Palmer or Jackson to injury against a side of Legia Warsaw’s stature, and they should not feature.