Chelsea have made a surprising call by excluding star forward Cole Palmer from their UEFA Conference League squad.
Palmer, who has been a standout performer since his move from Manchester City, scored 25 goals—surpassing the contributions of any of Chelsea’s other signings in the past two years.
However, despite his success, his name was notably absent when the club released its 25-man squad for the European tournament.
This roster is now locked until February, after which Chelsea will have the opportunity to make up to three changes.
Along with Palmer, Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia were also left out of the squad. Notably, the decision isn’t a matter of Palmer being listed on the ‘B’ list either.
He’s ineligible due to being a few months too old and not having been at the club long enough.
Fofana faces the same age restriction, while Lavia, having only joined Chelsea last summer, hasn’t reached the two-year minimum residency required to qualify for the ‘B’ list.
As for the squad, Chelsea opted for a blend of established stars and emerging talent. Their 25-player ‘A’ list for the UEFA Conference League includes:
Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Lucas Bergstrom.
Defenders: Axel Disasi, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Renato Veiga.
:Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Noni Madueke, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, Cesare Casade
Forwards: Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Jadon Sancho, Marc Guiu.
For added depth, Chelsea has also listed a few young players on their more flexible ‘B’ list, which features Levi Colwill, Josh Acheampong, Kiano Dyer, Tyrique George, Harrison McMahon, and Max Merrick.
According to BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella, the decision to leave Palmer, Fofana, and Lavia out was a strategic move related to “load management,” aimed at controlling the amount of football these players will be expected to play.
With Chelsea competing on multiple fronts this season—Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Conference League, and the revamped FIFA Club World Cup in June and July—managing their workload is seen as essential to maintaining peak performance levels.
Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League campaign kicks off on October 3 with a home fixture against Belgian side Gent. Following that, the Blues will face Panathinaikos, Noah, Heidenheim, Astana, and Shamrock Rovers during the league phase.
