Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has left both Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo out of his starting XI for today’s Champions League group match against Qarabag.
The Azerbaijani side are level on points with Chelsea after three matches, with both teams having won twice and lost once in the competition so far.
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Maresca will have one eye on Saturday’s league meeting with a Wolves side who will be something of an unknown quantity following the sacking of manager Vitor Pereira, but the Blues’ head coach knows Qarabag have the potential to frustrate his side when the two teams meet at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku.
While Maresca cannot yet call on Cole Palmer, who remains injured, striker Liam Delap has been named to the bench after he served his domestic suspension in the win over Tottenham at the weekend following his second yellow card on return from injury in the 4-3 Carabao Cup win at Wolves.
So too has Marc Guiu, with Tyrique George getting the nod at centre-forward.
Winger Pedro Neto was absent from training ahead of the match after being substituted with what appeared to be cramp against Tottenham, and he has been left in London to recover.
Maresca made the decision not to select any academy stars such as Reggie Walsh or Shim Mheuka for the match against Qarabag and instead named a strong squad full of first-team regulars for the five-and-a-half-hour flight to Baku.
Long-term absentees Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile and Dario Essugo remain sidelined through injury, and Pedro Neto also missed out through injury but is expected back to face his former club Wolves on Saturday.
Robert Sanchez pips Filip Jorgensen to start between the sticks, while Reece James returns at right-back.
Andrey Santos spoke at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, indicating that he will start the game.
Chelsea starting XI: Sanchez; James, Tosin, Hato, Cucurella; Andrey Santos, Lavia; Estevao, Joao Pedro, Gittens; George
Subs: Jorgensen, Merrick, Acheampong, Chalobah, Gusto, Fofana, Caicedo, Buonanotte, Enzo, Garnacho, Delap, Guiu
Injured: Neto, Palmer, Colwill, Badiashile, Essugo
Time and date: 5:45pm BST on Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Venue: Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku
TV Channel: TNT Sports
