While most other Premier League players may now be starting to jet off on their holidays, the season isn’t quite over for Chelsea.
The Blues ended the Premier League campaign on a high on Sunday. A 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest saw them confirm a Champions League place for next season with a fourth place finish.
For Enzo Maresca and his side, their focus is now on lifting another piece of European silverware. Chelsea are in UEFA Conference League final action tonight as they take on Spanish side Real Betis in Wroclaw, Poland (8pm kick-off).
Chelsea will be without three players through injury with Wesley Fofana, Omari Kellyman and Aaron Anselmino all missing out.
Fofana underwent surgery on a hamstring injury last month, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
Kellyman has seen his season disrupted by injury, and was ruled out for the remainder of the season back in March.
Anselmino has not played for Chelsea’s first team since joining the club in a £15.6 million deal from Boca Juniors back in January. He has missed games due to the club being careful over a minor muscle injury.
Chelsea will also be missing two more players for the final. Despite his recovery from injury, the Blues won’t be able to call upon key midfielder Romeo Lavia because he was left out of the Conference League ‘A’ squad when it was named earlier this year.
Despite being youn enough to be named on the ‘B’ squad, Lavia has not been with the club long enough to be able to be added to the list. He must therefore sit out the final.
Another player who will be watching from the sidelines is Mykhailo Mudryk . The player is serving a provisional ban following an ‘adverse finding’ in a routine drug test.
Mudryk has been spotted in Wroclaw ahead of the game, but is not expected to be available.
As for Real Betis, they have several injury concerns of their own. Forward Chimy Avila , defenders Diego Llorente and Hector Bellerin and midfielder Marc Roca are all expected to miss the game through injury.
The side also have doubts over the availability of goalkeeper Fran Vieites and full-back Youssouf Sabaly . The latter has missed the last two La Liga games with a shoulder injury.
Chelsea can end the 2024/25 Premier League season on a high, but it is never quiet at Stamford Bridge and the summer looks set to be one full of news, with Enzo Maresca looking for transfer to bolster his squad.
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