3. Injuries and Squad Rotation Decisions
Chelsea has several players unavailable due to injuries, including Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia, Noni Madueke, and Marc Guiu. With six goals, Guiu was the top scorer in the Conference League group stage. However, Trevoh Chalobah and Benoît Badiashile are nearing a return.
A few players who were part of the league phase left Chelsea on loan during the January window. This includes João Félix, Axel Disasi, and Carney Chukwuemeka. Among them, both Félix and Disasi were regular starters. Another player who saw significant minutes, Cesare Casadei, left Chelsea permanently.
The absence of key players means many of the starters from Chelsea’s last Premier League match will be in action. With the weekend game being against 19th-placed Leicester City, Enzo Maresca has some flexibility to rotate his squad across both fixtures. The advantage of playing the second leg at Stamford Bridge also gives Chelsea a clearer idea of what they need to do to progress. Given that a visit to Arsenal follows soon after, a strong first-leg performance is crucial.