Chelsea welcomes Armenian side FC Noah to the UEFA Conference League in a bid to end a two-game losing streak that saw them exit the Carabao Cup and drop league points against Manchester United.

The Blues have comfortably won their opening two matches of the league stage and currently sit top of the Conference League table. The domination should continue for a team whose strength is far superior to its opponent in this third-tier European competition.

Enzo Maresca has made a habit of completely rotating his team for Conference League matches. The concept of Team A and Team B is starting to raise questions from fans and pundits alike due to last week’s poor results and dip in form. However, Maresca insists there are not two separate teams, although it seems likely that the majority of players who started against Manchester United this weekend will not do so again against Noah.

In addition to not being registered to play in the championship phase, Cole Palmer received a shot and his status is still pending for Sunday Premier League match against Arsenal. Maresca has confirmed that Jadon Sancho will also not be available and will miss his fourth consecutive match for the Blues. Despite the absences, Chelsea have more than enough depth to return to victory on Thursday evening.

JOIN SI SOCCER’S CHELSEA WHATSAPP COMMUNITY – GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS DIRECT TO YOUR PHONE

GK: Filip Jörgensen—Another Robert Sánchez error led to a Premier League goal; However, Maresca remains adamant that there will be no goalkeeper changes in the EPL, meaning Jörgensen will continue to benefit from his playing time in Conference League matches.

RB: Axel Disasi—Disasi had a night to forget at St. James’ Park, scoring an own goal that all but sealed Chelsea’s exit from the Carabao Cup. He will aim to rebound against Noah.

CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—One of the most experienced figures in the Chelsea dressing room. The 27-year-old is expected to return to the XI after missing the match against Panathinaikos.

CB: Benoît Badiashile—Fabrizio Romano reported that Chelsea have no plans to sell Badiashile after speculation over his future arose. Still, he’s only played 37 minutes in the league this year, so a good performance could go a long way in helping him increase that number.

LB: Marc Cucurella—Cucurella has fallen down the depth chart despite a positive start to the season. He was suspended for Chelsea’s match against Liverpool and never returned to the league XI afterwards. The Spaniard is expected to remain a regular in the Conference League in the meantime.

CM: Renato Veiga—Veiga has played every position in defense and in the base of midfield since arriving at Chelsea in the summer.

CM: Enzo Fernández—The role of the $100 million man continues to be reduced under Maresca. Moisés Caicedo and Romeo Lavia have been the league’s favorite midfield duo, relegating the 2022 World Cup champion to get the bulk of his minutes in the Conference League.

AD: Kieran Dewsbury-Hall—It was surprising to see the former Leicester City player occupying the right wing during Chelsea’s Carabao Cup match against Newcastle. Given Sancho’s absence, Dewsbury-Hall could be set to re-emerge in that role.

AM: João Félix—Felix scored a brace in Chelsea’s last outing in Europe. The silky smooth Portuguese was one of the only bright spots in the Cup match against the Magpies.

LW: Mykhaylo Mudryk—A goal and a couple of assists highlighted one of the Ukrainian’s best performances for the Blues in the team’s final Conference League game. He will look to maintain his recent rise in form.

ST: Christophe Nkunku—Maresca called him “our best player of the pre-season.” Despite scoring eight goals for Chelsea this season, he has been rarely used in the Premier League. If he continues to be sharp in the Conference League, then he could put pressure on Maresca to give him more EPL minutes.

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE