Maurizio Sarri has made a flying start to his first Premier League campaign, but could Chelsea be dreaming of more than just domestic success?
Having qualified for the Europa League, the Blues have the chance to rest key players in Europe while still mounting a challenge for silverware on the continent.
Leaving out senior players will give a number of youngsters the opportunity to come in and impress, and Sarri will be eager to give those players a chance to show their Premier League credentials.
So how should Chelsea use their promising batch of emerging talent to compete on two fronts? Here’s how we think they should line up in the Europa League this term.
Goalkeeper: Willy Caballero
If Sarri truly wants to test his youth players, he might be tempted to play 18-year-old Marcin Bulka between the sticks in the Europa League. But throwing the teenager in might put him under too much pressure.
Instead, Bulka can gain experience from travelling with the squad and potentially filling in if there are any problems with Willy Cabellero, who provides more of an experienced, if sporadically unreliable, option.
Rob Green wasn’t included in the Europa League squad, so Cabellero is the obvious choice.
Right-back: Davide Zappacosta
With the shift from a back three to a back four under Sarri, Cesar Azpilicueta has returned to his position of old at right-back and has already cemented his status as first-choice on the flank. That means he’ll almost certainly be rested in the Europa League, giving Davide Zappacosta a chance to shine.
The Italian is the only viable option, due to the fact the club’s young right-backs – Ola Aina, Fikayo Tomori and Todd Kane – have all been shipped out on loan, and Victor Moses is more of a wing-back than a dedicated defender.
Centre-back: Ethan Ampadu
After signing a new five-year contract with Chelsea, Ampadu looks set to play a key role in Europe, allowing Sarri to assess his Premier League potential while resting the likes of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger. If necessary, the teenager could even play in front of the back four like he has been for Wales.
Comparisons to Luiz, and the ability to cover for the Brazilian, are particularly apt. Speaking via Chelsea’s Fifth Stand app, Apadu said: “Playing in the same position as him, having the same hair as him, he’s a ball-playing centre-back and I like to think of myself as a ball-playing centre-back so from that aspect we could be similar.
“No one’s the same but there’s things I can learn from him in the way he is on the ball and the way he defends.”
Centre-back: Andreas Christensen
Like Ampadu, Andreas Christensen will be hoping to impress in the Europa League enough to be given a chance in the Premier League. The 22-year-old will be tasked with bringing the ball out from the back, and giving him minutes is crucial given his long-term value to the club.
That said, Christensen must make the most of his game time if he wants to continue to be seen as the future of Chelsea’s defence.
Left-back: Emerson Palmieri
January arrival Emerson Palmieri hasn’t travelled with the squad for Thursday’s Europa League opener against PAOK – possibly having not recovered from a fever – but he will surely be an important player in the competition throughout the campaign.
Playing Marcos Alonso in both the Premier League and Europe is a recipe for disaster in terms of fitness and burnout, so Palmieri should be given his chance to shine on Thursday nights in the future.
Central midfield: Cesc Fabregas
He hasn’t featured in the Premier League yet this season, but Cesc Fabregas has travelled with the Chelsea squad to PAOK and is likely to be tested in a deeper role than usual.
The Blues have a variety of options in central midfield, and Fabregas’ skillset perhaps does not lend itself to one of the specific roles Sarri asks of his players.
Still by far one of Chelsea’s most creative players, emulating Jorginho’s metronomic style may prove difficult as he fights to resist providing killer through balls.
Central midfield: Ross Barkley
Mateo Kovacic hasn’t travelled to Greece, which should give Ross Barkley the opportunity to start. In fairness, the refreshed midfielder has been unlucky to be out of the team in the Premier League, with only Kovacic’s impressive start to life in England stopping Barkley from making a real impact.
He will probably be situated on the left of the midfield three, tasked with aiding the transition from midfield to attack using his ball-carrying ability and power to shrug off the opposition’s first press.
Central midfield: Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Perhaps more-so than any other Chelsea player, Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be desperate to put in a string of good displays in Europe this season.
It could be his only path into the first-team, while Chelsea knowing giving him minutes in the Europa League could be the only way to keep him at the club.
With Ross Barkley on the left, Loftus-Cheek should play on the right of the midfield three, a position he has mostly played for England. There, he should be able to combine with Willian to devastating effect against lesser opposition but will still need to match Kante’s box-to-box nature in some shape or form.
Ideally, he would de deployed in a similar role to Ross Barkley. However, it is vital to give both a platform to impress so some compromise has to be made.
Right-wing: Willian
Willian scored a stunning goal in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Cardiff City, and Sarri must be delighted to have such a strong backup option to use instead of Pedro – who has started the season well – in Europe.
Like Fabregas, Willian will bring some much-needed experience and the star quality to see Chelsea through in case the youngsters aren’t cutting it. The Brazilian will get plenty of minutes in the Premier League throughout the season, but managing him carefully will provide a key threat in both competitions.
Left wing: Callum Hudson-Odoi
Brilliant in pre-season, Callum Hudson-Odoi isn’t quite ready for regular Premier League football but could be Chelsea’s secret weapon in the Europa League. Hazard hasn’t travelled for the opener and Sarri will want to rest the Belgian for most of the group stages, despite setting him a 40-goal target for this season.
If Hudson-Odoi shows up in the initial phase of matches, there is a chance he will keep his place for the knockout stages, which could be crucial to his development.
With fellow U-17 World Cup winners Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson making their Champions League debuts earlier this week, Hudson-Odoi will be looking to keep up with the pace by making his own statement in Europe.
Tuesday: Jadon Sancho makes his Champions League debut, for Borussia Dortmund.
Wednesday: Reiss Nelson makes his Champions League debut, for Hoffenheim.
Brits abroad in the Bundesliga.
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Striker: Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata has scored just once in the Premier League so far this term and was replaced by Olivier Giroud in the starting line-up against Cardiff. Although the Frenchman did not score himself, he proved his value to the Chelsea side – and Eden Hazard in particular – by creating more chances than any other player on the pitch, providing two assists for the Belgian in the process.
With no young strikers in the Europa League squad – Tammy Abraham was loaned out to Aston Villa – Morata is the only choice through the middle. He simply must take his opportunity.
The post How Sarri can use Chelsea’s young talent to mount a Europa and Premier League challenge appeared first on Squawka News.
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