With the January transfer window now closed, Chelsea have submitted their updated squad for the Conference League knockout rounds, but the omissions of Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia raise serious concerns about their availability.
Five players have been dropped from the squad following their departures from Stamford Bridge last month: Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei, and Joao Felix.
Under UEFA regulations, teams can only register three new players for the knockout stages, and Chelsea have chosen to add Cole Palmer, Trevoh Chalobah, and deadline-day signing Mathis Amougou.
Palmer’s inclusion is notable, as he was left out of the initial squad for the league phase. Now, however, Enzo Maresca has made it clear that Chelsea’s star player will be central to their European campaign.
The biggest talking point, however, is the continued absence of Fofana and Lavia. Both were initially left out as they recovered from long-term injuries, and their ongoing exclusion suggests that the club does not expect them to return in time to make an impact this season.
At the start of the year, Maresca stated that Fofana might miss the rest of the campaign due to a thigh issue, but the defender himself insisted he would be fit by mid-February. Lavia, meanwhile, was initially expected to miss only a few weeks, but Maresca now describes his situation as a “long-term issue,” with reports suggesting he may be sidelined until April.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup match against Brighton, Maresca admitted, “Romeo is still in the process to come back, but there’s still a long way to go.” This, along with Fofana’s omission, indicates that their return to action may not come before next season.
Adding to Chelsea’s growing injury woes, Maresca also revealed that striker Marc Guiu has suffered a serious setback and could be out for “months” with what he described as a “bad injury.”
Despite their injury concerns, Chelsea remain strong contenders for the Conference League, having won all six of their group-stage matches. They will learn their last-16 opponents in the draw on February 21, but their squad depth will be tested as they aim to secure European silverware.