Chelsea could be without ‘top talent’ for Conference League semi-final first leg vs Djurgarden

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Enzo Maresca will desperately be looking to rotate where he can as Chelsea prepare for a Conference League semi-final first leg tie against Djurgarden.

The Blues are locked in a fierce battle to secure Champions League football for next season, with just four Premier League games to go until their fate is determined.

Given the effort that will be needed for games against Liverpool, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, the core Chelsea players are going to be worked hard by Maresca and likely play every minute possible.

Any opportunity for squad rotation will be crucial, and the first comes with the trip to Sweden this week.

The Chelsea Chronicle have predicted Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong will start, with there just three days until the Premier League winners make the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Shumaira Mheuka could miss Chelsea Conference League semi-final

These situations would normally see Maresca look to a number of youngsters for minutes. Shumaira Mheuka has benefitted with a handful of appearances, including becoming the youngest Chelsea starter in Europe.

However, this may not be possible this week due to the fact that the Chelsea U21s have a crucial knockout game against Crystal Palace.

According to The Express, this could see the striker, as well as the likes of Kiano Dyer, miss out on the trip to Sweden in order to get the job done for the Cobham side.

Djurgarden’s mammoth task against Chelsea

As has been the case throughout the competition so far, Chelsea will go into the semi-final as heavy favourites.

However, a side whose entire wage bill is less than Raheem Sterling’s have more issues to deal with as they could be missing one of their key players.

Goalkeeper Jacob Rinne is a doubt after missing training in the week, and those who do play will likely not be best pleased with the playing conditions.

Chelsea’s semi-final will take place on artificial turf, which has been the source of annoyance from their own side due to their distaste at playing on it.