£150k-per-week Chelsea duo facing Maresca axe with 24 y/o set for chance

An in-form Chelsea duo face being axed by head coach Enzo Maresca over the coming weeks, in favour of an “underrated” player in his squad, as the Italian plots a slight shake-up to his starting line-up.

Chelsea name 22-man Panathinaikos squad with stars rested

The west Londoners take on Greek heavyweights Panathinaikos in the UEFA Europa Conference League this evening, with Chelsea confirming their 22-man squad for the encounter last night.

Related

Chelsea now prepared to make “significant” bid for £83m Barcelona star

There have been a few reports linking Barca and Chelsea with transfer deals.

A host of star players like Reece James, Levi Colwill, Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo and Malo Gusto have been left in London, while the likes of Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana also won’t play a part tonight after being left out of their squad for the entire competition.

Instead, Maresca has made room for a plethora of academy graduates in Lucas Bergstrom, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Tyrique George and Sumatra Mheuka – who could all get a chance to shine and show supporters what they’re capable of.

Chelsea soon have a double-header against Newcastle United, facing the Magpies in a Premier League clash on Sunday before taking on Eddie Howe’s side again in their Carabao Cup last 16 clash midway through next week.

Maresca appears to be resting his most crucial men for those encounters, meaning some fringe stars need to grasp an opportunity to impress this evening. With Mykhailo Mudryk battling for his Chelsea future, a stellar performance against Panathinaikos would do wonders to lift the pressure off his shoulders.

Unfortunately, Maresca won’t be able to call upon exciting youngster Josh Acheampong, amid an ongoing contract dispute at Stamford Bridge which is threatening to ruin his career there.

Chelsea reportedly believe Acheampong is attempting to leave behind their back, as his representatives offer him around to interested sides, with Maresca shedding light on the situation on Wednesday.

“It’s a shame. I think Josh potentially can become a top player. He is still 18, so still very young, so many things can change for him, but he can potentially be very important thing for Chelsea,” said Maresca’s on Acheampong’s situation.

“It’s so important for the club that our intention is not to lose him. The first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his future. The most important thing at this stage is to get minutes, enjoy and to play football. For him, I don’t know the people who are trying to solve the problem, if they are helping him or not. I really like Josh and I would really like to have him here with us but it is not possible.”

While Acheampong won’t have an opportunity to play tonight, there is a real chance for winger Pedro Neto to stake a claim in the starting eleven.

Sancho and Madueke in danger of Chelsea axe for Neto

According to GiveMeSport, Neto is on course for a chance to stake his claim in the Chelsea starting XI on a regular basis.

The Portugal international is set to be handed Maresca’s nod for their clash against Panathinaikos, and if he impresses, it is believed Neto could be set for a more prominent starting role in the coming weeks.

It is even believed that the likes of Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke could be dropped in favour of Neto, despite the duo being on a total of around £150,000-per-week impressing in the early stages of this season.

Called “underrated” by Fabrizio Romano, Neto impressed during a brief cameo in their defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, but it looks as if the 24-year-old former Wolves star could be seen more often very shortly.