Chelsea hit with double injury blow as squad fly out for Djurgarden semi-final

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·30 April 2025

Chelsea hit with double injury blow as squad fly out for Djurgarden semi-final

The Blues will need to rotate for the Conference League semi-final

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Chelsea are without Robert Sanchez and Christopher Nkunku for the first leg of their Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden.

Neither player was with the squad that landed in Stockholm on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday night’s clash at the 3Arena.

Nkunku is understood to have picked up a knock in training since the weekend’s 1-0 victory over Everton.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening, Blues boss Enzo Maresca said on Nkunku’s injury: “It just happened, so we will have more news on Friday when we’re back.”

Sanchez, meanwhile, sustained a knock to the leg in that game and has been left in London as a precaution, with both players still being assessed ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Liverpool.

Goalkeeper Sanchez is unlikely to have started the game against Djurgarden in any case. The Spaniard has featured only once in Europe this season and not at all since regaining his Premier League No1 spot last month. Filip Jörgensen will instead get the nod in his homeland.

Nkunku, however, has been a regular in the Conference League this term. The Frenchman has played in all but one of Chelsea’s 12 matches since the start of qualifying and completed the full 90 minutes in both legs of the quarter-final win over Legia Warsaw.

The 27-year-old scored five goals in the Blues’ first four matches during the league phase but is yet to find the net in the knockout stage.