Chelsea make the lengthy trip to Azerbaijan on Wednesday for their Champions League clash with Qarabağ.
The Blues have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions and bar their slip-up at home to Sunderland, they have been in impressive form. Victories over Benfica and Ajax have come during their recent winning streak, results which have elevated them up the Champions League league phase table after their opening day defeat at Bayern Munich.
Azerbaijan is not a regular venue for Chelsea’s European excursions, but the Blues have faced Qarabağ previously. They fired ten unanswered goals past them during the 2017–18 Champions League group stage, with another thumping victory on the cards on Wednesday.
Having said that, Qarabağ have surprised a few this season. A stunning victory over Benfica in their league phase opener was followed by a home win over Copenhagen, and despite defeat at Athletic Club last time out, Gurban Gurbanov’s side have still made an exceptional start to their European campaign.
Qarabağ will be without Ramil Sheydayev and Joni Montiel for Wednesday’s encounter, but Gurbanov is unlikely to make many changes from the team that were defeated by Athletic Club in their last European encounter.
The Azerbaijani outfit will be reliant on the goalscoring and creativity of Leandro Andrade, with the Cape Verde international having scored against Benfica and Athletic Club already.
Qarabağ will also require a mammoth performance from goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski, who is likely to be called upon frequently in Baku.
Enzo Maresca is likely to rotate in Baku, but he will be without a host of absentees. Cole Palmer is the most prominent injury, with Levi Colwill, Dário Essugo and Benoît Badiashile all on the sidelines as well. Mykhailo Mudryk is still provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test and Pedro Neto is absent after sustaining a “small issue” at the weekend.
Lima Delap missed the win at Tottenham Hotspur through suspension, but is available once more and could enter the starting lineup to offer weekend match-winner João Pedro a well-earned rest.
Moisés Caicedo, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are others likely to be rested in some capacity, with the latter suffering cramp during the win over Spurs.
