Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer will return to the Chelsea starting lineup against Legia Warszawa in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday.

Chelsea will aim to take a step closer to the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final when they lock horns with Legia Warszawa at Estadi de l’Exercit Polones on Thursday night. Enzo Maresca has no new issues to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.

Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia are the only absentees from the travelling squad, with the former ruled out for the rest of the 2024/25 season. However, several first-choice starters should return after Maresca left them on the bench against Brentford this past weekend.

Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, and Nicolas Jackson were on the bench against Brentford, and the quintet should return on Thursday. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Maresca provided a fitness update on Fofana and Lavia. The Italian tactician also spoke about Marc Guiu and confirmed Thursday’s starting goalkeeper.

The Chelsea manager said, “We are going to support them for sure because they are our players, because they are young, and because they are human beings and in a moment where they struggle for different reasons, we need to support them.”

“Unfortunately, Wes will be out for the rest of the season. Hopefully we can get Romeo very soon. I don’t know if for the next game, but he looks quite good in terms of being back soon. We need to support both, and then at the end of the season we will see.”

The Chelsea manager continued, “We have good news on Marc. From today he looks quite good, much better, and he can be back before the season finishes. It will be Filip [who plays]. Robert since we started is the number one. For part of the season, we decided to give him some games off. Now he is back, he is okay, and we continue in the same way.”

Filip Jorgensen will take his spot between the sticks, with the away side lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Legia Warszawa on Thursday. The backline should feature Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella.

As for the midfield unit, Reece James should pair up with Moises Caicedo in the double pivot, with Enzo Fernandez reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Nicolas Jackson should lead the line for the away side against Legia Warszawa, with Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto being the two wide attackers.

Predicted Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Neto; Jackson