Preview: Chelsea face Heidenheim as key players rested for European fixture | OneFootball

Chelsea Set for Rotation Against Heidenheim in Conference League

Chelsea continue their Conference League campaign with a trip to Germany to face Heidenheim. With the Blues already securing three wins from three in the group stage, Enzo Maresca is expected to rotate his squad, offering opportunities to players on the fringes of his Premier League lineup.

Photo: IMAGO

Key Absences for Chelsea

As has been the case throughout the group stage, Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana, and Romeo Lavia remain unavailable. The trio were omitted from Chelsea’s European squad at the outset to carefully manage their workloads.

Photo: IMAGO

Additionally, Chelsea’s 21-man travelling squad for this fixture excludes several key names, including Malo Gusto, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto, Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez, and Reece James. This approach underscores Maresca’s willingness to prioritise squad rotation in the competition.

Photo: IMAGO

Updates on Fitness

Speaking ahead of the match at his pre-match press conference in Germany, Maresca provided updates on the fitness of Gusto, Neto, and James.

On the possibility of Gusto and Neto returning for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa, Maresca stated: “I think so. Both have trained with us. We don’t take a risk for tomorrow but both I think can be available for Sunday’s game.”

Regarding Reece James, he added: “The only thing we can say is that he is getting better day by day. We don’t know how many days he needs. He’s getting better.”

Predicted Chelsea Lineup

Chelsea’s expected XI features a mix of youth and fringe players:

Predicted XI: Jorgensen; Disasi, Tosin, Badiashile, Veiga; Casadei, Dewsbury-Hall; Sancho, Felix, Mudryk; Nkunku

Injured: James, Neto, Gusto

Match Details

Chelsea’s rotation strategy allows Maresca to balance squad depth and competitive demands, keeping the Blues firmly on course for the knockout stages of the Conference League.