Premier League club Cheslea have decided to leave out trio of Cole Pamer, Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia from their 28-man provisional squad for the UEFA Conference League, the club announced on Thursday.
With the new format league phase of the Conference League fast approaching, the Blues are looking at resting some of their key players from UEFA’s third-tier club tournament.
The West London club qualified for the league phase of the competition after just edging out Swiss club Serviette by a one-goal margin during the playoffs, following a 3-2 aggregate scoreline over two legs.
Palmer, who starred for Chelsea in his debut season with 25 goals and 15 assists in 45 games and was recently nominated for the Ballon d’or, did not make the team’s shortlist along with Fofana and Lavia.
Our squad for the next stage of the #UECL! 📋
Read more: 👉 https://t.co/Miyq2jKhjI pic.twitter.com/JRrUx9lFfE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 5, 2024
The Enzo Maresca-led side are in for a long season with Chelsea expected to compete in about five competitions, including the Premier League, Conference League and the newly revamped FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off in the United States in 2025, having earned a place in the tournament following their Champions League triumph ion 2021.
Maresca, however, included the likes of Ukrainian forward Mykhailo Mudryk as well as new signings Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho, who joined on loan from Manchester United on deadline day.
The Blues are set to face Gent, Panathinaikos, Armenia’s Noah, early Bundesliga leaders Heidenheim, Astana and Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League.
