John Obi Mikel tells Enzo Maresca three Chelsea players he simply must start against Real Betis

Add as preferred source on Google

John Obi Mikel’s message to Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is that he must select a strong team against Real Betis.

On Wednesday night, Chelsea take on Spanish opposition Betis in the Conference League final. If the Blues win, they will become the first club to win every major European trophy.

Betis star Antony has praised the quality of Chelsea ahead of the final, and they’ve been the outstanding team in the Conference League competition so far.

Enzo Maresca’s side will be buoyed by finishing fourth in the Premier League, which has secured qualification for next season’s Champions League. Similarly, Betis can be pleased with a sixth-placed finish this campaign in La Liga.

• READ MORE: Real Betis star Marc Bartra shares what really stood out to him about Chelsea after watching them

John Obi Mikel demands strong Chelsea team vs Real Betis, including Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson

John Obi Mikel, the former Chelsea midfielder, has been previewing the Blues’ cup final against Betis.

Interestingly, he insists that the strongest available XI should be lining up for the European final. In particular, he asked for key individuals Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson to start.

When asked if Maresca should be loyal to Chelsea’s fringe players that have starred in the Conference League, Mikel said on The Obi One Podcast: “No. He has to go with the best team. This is a final, sorry. We are there now in the final; we have to win it. Real Betis have had a good season as well…

“It’s a game that we have to approach with the right mentality with the best, best squad. I want to see [Moises] Caicedo. I want to see [Palmer]. I want to see [Nicolas] Jackson in the team. We have to go full out.”

In the Conference League this season, Chelsea boss Maresca has heavily rotated and maximised his squad’s depth. For instance, the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyrique George have been key figures in the club’s run to a European final.

Chelsea’s predicted XI against Real Betis does include a few changes from the side that beat Nottingham Forest on Sunday on the final day of the Premier League.

It’s already been confirmed that Filip Jorgensen will start against Real Betis in goal for the Blues, so it will be interesting to see how many more changes are made.

The truth is that we see the argument from both sides. While Mikel is right to demand Chelsea’s strongest XI because a trophy is on the line, it would be cruel to drop individuals that have put everything into the Conference League campaign.

Nicolas Jackson must be super eager to start and redeem himself

If Mikel gets his wish, Chelsea trio Caicedo, Palmer and Jackson will start against Betis. It will be a sign of how seriously they are taking the Conference League final if they are all named in the XI.

Blues striker Jackson, 23, hasn’t been on the pitch since his reckless red card against Newcastle United earlier in May. Thankfully, the team coped without him due to suspension to win their last two league games and wrap up Champions League qualification.

The centre-forward, who’s scored 12 goals across all competitions this season, is available to play in Wednesday’s European final. We suspect he’s super hungry to start playing again, too!

Chelsea’s ‘top brass’ are behind Nicolas Jackson despite his controversial sending off, but perhaps he owes the club’s supporters a big performance in the final match of the 2024/25 season.