Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has ruled midfield starlet Cole Palmer and attacker Jadon Sancho out of Thursday’s UEFA Conference League match against Armenian side FC Noah. The club’s top scorer this term, Palmer is not registered for the group stage of the tournament and sat out recent training after taking a knock from Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez during Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Maresca, though, remains hopeful that Palmer will be fit by the time Chelsea walk into the pitch to clash with Arsenal over the weekend. “Cole didn’t train yesterday, so we’ll see if he’s ready to join us today,” said Maresca. “The tackle wasn’t a normal one. We’ll evaluate his condition.”
Sancho will also miss out on Thursday due to illness and a slight niggle from training. Maresca admitted that the forward could be back in time for Sunday, while if not, Chelsea waits until after the international break.
Meanwhile, Reece James could be rested for squad rotation, with Maresca also emphasizing that workloads must be managed for the fully fit 25-man squad. Chelsea lead in the Conference League group stages with two wins, while Noah sit fourth in the Armenian league and want to have a go at Chelsea on European soil.
