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The Blues have made the shocking move to leave out one of their most important players from their European competition squad
Chelsea have made surprising omissions from their UEFA Conference League squad, leaving out Cole Palmer, arguably the best player on the team.
Palmer omitted from Conference League squad
Despite his early-season form, where he’s already registered four assists and a goal, Chelsea have decided to leave Palmer out of their initial Conference League squad, meaning the youngster will miss the entire group phase of the competition.
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The decision was attributed to "load management" by the club, as the Blues also have the first edition of the FIFA Club World Cup to contend with this season.
Alongside Palmer, defender Wesley Fofana and midfielder Romeo Lavia were also left out of the squad for similar reasons.
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The Blues are set to face Gent, Heidenheim, Astana, Shamrock Rovers, Panathinaikos, and Noah in the league phase before possibly adjusting their squad ahead of the knockout rounds.
Palmer nominated for Ballon d’Or
Palmer’s exclusion has raised eyebrows, especially after his stellar performances in recent months for Chelsea.
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The England international had a remarkable debut season for the Blues after joining from Manchester City in 2023, scoring 25 goals and providing 13 assists in all competitions.
His remarkable start to life at Chelsea earned him the Premier League and PFA Young Player of the Year awards and most recently also a Ballon d’Or nomination.
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As opposed to being a problematic situation, Chelsea’s decision to leave Palmer out of the Champions League squad is in fact a pointer to how important the England international has become to the team as the Blues can scarcely afford an injury to the 22-year-old.
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