When Chelsea go up against Vidi on Thursday in the Europa League, there will be a mixture of the old and new in the starting 11 in Hungary.
Maurizio Sarri will make changes to ensure he has fresh legs for the Premier League encounter with Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend. Several key players will be rested for the clash against the European minnows including Eden Hazard, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, defenders Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta as well as midfielder N’Golo Kante.
Adding to these five are the Chelsea stars whose fitness is not at the required level to play in Thursday’s game. Mateo Kovacic joins Victor Moses and Gary Cahill in the physio room and will not make the matchday squad as confirmed by Sarri.
“I don’t know the starting XI. I decided the players who played three matches in six days in the last week had to rest for this match: Kepa, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Kante and Hazard.
Then we have three injuries: Kovacic, Cahill and Moses. All the other players are here.”
Maurizio Sarri, Goal
Chelsea have already made it through to the next round of the Europa League but despite that fact, Sarri will demand nothing less than a win to boost their confidence ahead of the grueling Christmas schedule.
Andreas Christensen, Emerson, Davide Zappacosta, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ethan Ampadu are expected to step in for the missing first team players.
