Just three years ago, Thomas Tuchel led Chelsea to European glory, defeating a favored Manchester City in the Champions League final and bringing the club’s second ‘Ol’ Big Ears’ trophy to Stamford Bridge. That was a glorious chapter in the Blues’ history, but since then, the situation has dramatically changed. With the war in Ukraine and the pressure on Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch was forced to sell the club. American billionaire Todd Boehly took over, and in a short time, he has seen the club drop to the playoff stage of the Conference League.Once a hero – today a villainThis was actually considered a success last season. In the closing stages, Chelsea, under Mauricio Pochettino, managed to finish sixth in the Premier League, securing a spot in Europe. However, Pochettino had to pass the “hot potato” to Enzo Maresca, who now has 43 players at his disposal, many of whom are unhappy and on the verge of leaving. The latest arrival is João Félix from Atlético Madrid, with Conor Gallagher, a homegrown player who started kicking a ball at the club when he was just six, heading in the opposite direction.##NAJAVA_MECA_8284024##The season began as expected, with a defeat at Stamford Bridge to Manchester City (0-2), a team operating on a completely different level compared to the current Chelsea.The Blues are struggling, and today (10.00 PM EAT) they will make their European debut this summer against Servette in the first leg of the Conference League playoff. Maresca is sure to shuffle the deck, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the former Guardiola assistant at City fields an entirely different starting XI compared to the Premier League match on Sunday.Reece James and Marc Cucurella, who are recovering from injuries, are in contention for the squad. Both are among the 21 players who could start tonight at Stamford Bridge.Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling are not in the squad and could leave the club by the end of the month. Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo are sidelined with injuries. Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, Renato Veiga, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Pedro Neto, and Marc Guiu are Chelsea’s five summer signings who could be given a start. Besides the Danish goalkeeper, a new addition from Villarreal, the other four played in the second half against the English champions. Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, who didn’t play in the Premier League opener against City, could also start.Enzo Maresca has selected a 22-man squad to face Servette in the first leg of our #UECL play-off.— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 21, 2024 Servette easily defeated lower-league side Bernex in the Swiss Cup over the weekend, winning 7-1 with their second team. For the two-time European champions, this competition is certainly a secondary priority, but there’s no doubt they will want to secure their place in the Conference League group stage after 90 minutes in London.
