Chelsea will be without goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and forward Christopher Nkunku for their upcoming match in Stockholm. This Thursday, they will face Djurgarden in their UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final first leg.
During the Blues’ 1-0 Premier League victory over Everton, Sanchez suffered a knock to his leg. Nkunku also took a small knock during training this past week. Even without Sanchez, manager Enzo Maresca is likely to use Filip Jorgensen in goal. The 23-year-old shotstopper has been the designated goalkeeper for the Conference League fixtures.
Nkunku’s absence is a heavy blow since he has been directly involved in eight goals in this season’s European campaign. He has scored five goals himself and provided three assists in just nine games.
Chelsea are aiming to be the first club to win all three of UEFA’s major club competitions, and they have managed their squad throughout this tournament. Maresca has been using fringe players for the European matches while saving his first team for Premier League games.
Rotation is also expected, since there lies a crucial Premier League match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, just three days after the Stockholm clash.
Maresca Voices Injury Concerns on Djurgarden’s Artificial Turf
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed concern about the artificial pitch upon which his side will face Djurgarden on Thursday. The surface has been criticized by both teams.
Djurgarden players referred to it as ‘horrible’ and ‘challenging,’ adding that it makes the ball unpredictable and doesn’t suit what they are used to on their training ground. Speaking to the press ahead of the game, Maresca admitted:
It’s completely different. Even some of their players have been complaining about the pitch…For sure it can be a concern. I’m a little bit worried about that but we are not in a moment where we can decide to save players for Sunday. This is a European semi-final.”
The Blues remember the days when players ended up sustaining injuries on artificial surfaces. Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s Achilles injury happened on the synthetic surface in 2019, and it severely affected his career at the Bridge.
