By The Telegraph (World News) | Created at 2024-10-03 17:35:46 | Updated at 2024-10-06 18:18:58
3 days ago
Welcome to our coverage of the Europa Conference League as Chelsea host Gent at Stamford Bridge.
After a positive start to the Premier League season, Chelsea will be hoping to kick off their first campaign in this European competition with a win against their Belgian opponents.
It was the Cole Palmer show on Saturday in Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Brighton, as he scored four goals in the first half to become the first player in league history to complete such a feat.
However, Palmer will not be playing tonight as Enzo Maresca opted to omit him, along with Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana, from the Conference League squad to ease their workload.
Chelsea have won every UEFA competition they have ever entered – and as competition favourites, they will be aiming to continue the record and secure this trophy to add to the collection.
With only three days between tonight’s match and their Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Maresca might opt for a starting XI similar to the one that beat Barrow 5-0 in the League Cup last Tuesday.
A hattrick from Christopher Nkunku plus an own goal and Pedro Neto strike saw the team cruise past their League Two opponents.
Chelsea and Gent have never played each other in a competitive setting, but the Belgian team is not to be underestimated. They reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League in 2022-23 and have been a fixture of Belgium’s top flight since 1990.
Speaking ahead of the game, Maresca emphasised his full focus on tonight’s fixture, and said: “If you ask me who we are playing against in the Premier League in three games, I really don’t know.”
“You cannot start the first game thinking about the final,” he added. “You have to go game after game. It’s the way we are trying to approach the whole season. We are happy and excited about this game.”
Team news coming soon…
