Chelsea XI vs Gent: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news and injury latest for Conference League game

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·2 ottobre 2024

Chelsea XI vs Gent: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news and injury latest for Conference League game

Enzo Maresca is set to make changes for Stamford Bridge opener, with four-goal hero Cole Palmer unavailable

Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku are in line to start for Chelsea when they host Gent on Thursday.

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The Blues begin their Conference League group stage campaign against the Belgian side at Stamford Bridge and are the bookies’ favourites to win the competition.

Chelsea will be without Cole Palmer, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, who were all omitted from the squad submitted to UEFA for the group stage.

Meanwhile, Mudryk has only made one start in the Premier League so far this season, but Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca insisted he and others can force their way into his starting XI for Premier League games if they perform well in Europe.

“Hopefully he can do a good game tomorrow”, Maresca said of Mudryk. “But it’s not just Misha, also Christopher Nkunku. At the moment he’s not starting in the Premier League.

“It does not mean they’re not going to start in the next or two games — just this is the situation at the moment.”

Asked whether he regrets not including Chilwell in his Conference League squad to offer depth at full-back, Maresca asserted: “No.”

He said of his squad ahead of facing Gent: “They are all available, [apart from] the guys that are not in the squad and Reece [James]. They are all available.”

Captain James is a long-term absentee with a hamstring injury, as is youngster Omari Kellyman.

Predicted Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Disasi, Tosin, Badiashile, Veiga; Casadei, Dewsbury-Hall; Neto, Felix, Mudryk; Nkunku

Ineligible: Palmer, Fofana, Chilwell, Lavia

Injured: James, Kellyman

Doubts: None

Time and date: 8pm BST on Thursday October 3, 2024

Venue: Stamford Bridge