Enzo Maresca confirms 4 Chelsea stars will miss second leg of UECL qualifier against Servette
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has stated that his side will be without four first-team players when they face Servette in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier on Thursday, August 29. The Blues secured a 2-0 win in the first leg of the qualifier at Stamford Bridge and will travel to the Stade de Geneve for the second leg.
Enzo Maresca has seen his side enjoy a relatively injury-free start to the season, but he is set to miss Romeo Lavia, Reece James, Pedro Neto, and Malo Gusto for the trip to Switzerland. In his press conference ahead of the match, the Italian tactician said (via football.london):
"Romeo is still out. Reece is still out. Pedro and Malo are not in the squad, just for protection."
The duo of Romeo Lavia and Reece James remain sidelined with minor hamstring issues which kept them out of Chelsea's 6-2 win against Wolves in the Premier League. Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto have been left out as a precautionary measure.
The absence of James and Gusto could result in an opportunity for 18-year-old academy star Josh Acheampong to get some minutes.
According to reports, Maresca's side will be without new signing Joao Felix as well, scorer of their sixth goal against Wolves. The Portuguese forward was signed after the registration window for the tie had closed, rendering him ineligible to feature.
Chelsea set sights on Benfica star - Reports
Chelsea have their eyes on another potential addition to their squad, as per Portuguese outlet CNN Portugal (via Fabrizio Romano). The Blues appreciate Benfica defender Tomas Araujo and could make a move to sign him before the transfer window shuts.
Chelsea are expected to be active in the transfer market before it shuts on Friday. The Blues will reportedly consider moving for Araujo if they manage to sell both Trevoh Chalobah and Axel Disasi before Friday.
Tomas Araujo has attracted interest from multiple sides this summer, including PSG and Crystal Palace. However, Benfica manager Roger Schmidt has stated that the 22-year-old Portuguese centre-back will remain at the club by the end of the transfer window.
Chelsea have already signed centre-backs Tosin Adarabioyo and Aaron Anselmino this summer, with the latter joining Boca Juniors on loan.