Chelsea make the long journey to Kazakhstan on Thursday when they face Astana in the Conference League.
The Blues will make significant changes to their starting lineup midweek as they travel over 6,000km and are aiming to maintain their perfect record in the league phase of the Conference League.
Four matches have produced four victories and 18 goals as Enzo Maresca’s side make a mockery of Europe’s third most prestigious cup competition.
Confidence is high for Chelsea ahead of Thursday’s encounter. They have won all five of their outings since the November international break and reduced the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points at the weekend as they toppled Tottenham Hotspur. A 4-3 comeback victory was inspired by Cole Palmer, who will secure a well-earned rest midweek.
Astana are currently playing their home matches in Almaty – 1,200km away from the Kazakh capital – and have managed just four points from their opening matches. Without victory in three European fixtures, they should cause Chelsea few problems on Thursday.
The 2024 Kazakhstan Premier League season finished in early November as Astana only managed second, meaning Grigori Babayan’s side will either be well-rested or rusty for the visit of Chelsea on Thursday.
Astana have struggled for goals in the Conference League and are unlikely to trouble Chelsea too much. However, Nigerian striker Geoffrey Chinedu is one to watch out for on Thursday, with the 27-year-old having scored 12 goals in 18 appearances for the club since joining in the summer.
Maresca will take an array of young academy players to Kazakhstan on Thursday, perhaps leaving some bigger names behind. A flurry of talent has been added to Chelsea’s Conference League squad on the UEFA website, including Richard Olise, brother of Bayern Munich star Michael.
In terms of injuries, Chelsea are without Reece James and Wesley Fofana through hamstring issues – the latter isn’t included in the Conference League squad anyway. Mykhailo Mudryk has also been struggling with illness in recent matches and misses out once again, as does the injured Joao Felix.
Midfielder Cesare Casadei, who could have been useful for such a fixture, is unavailable through suspension after being sent off in the 2-0 win over Heidenheim.
