In their UEFA Conference League matchup against Kazakhstan’s Astana, Chelsea will face two eight-hour flights and temperatures far below freezing, which will put their impressive form to the test, manager Enzo Maresca stated on Wednesday.
Chelsea is now ranked second in the Premier League and is expected to challenge for the championship this weekend when they play Brentford, a rival team from London.
However, before they can concentrate on that derby, they have to journey to the outskirts of Asia, which is made even more difficult by the fact that Astana’s home games have been rescheduled from the city to Almaty due to stadium repairs, which is 600 miles away.
The flight is likewise diverted from the Russian and Ukrainian war areas.
“Eight hours (one way) is not a normal time (to travel) for a game, but we have to go there, we have to play and we want to try to do our best, thinking also about the next game,” Maresca told reporters.
With four straight victories, Chelsea leads the Conference League table.
Maresca has chosen to leave a number of players at home, including England winger Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer, who aren’t even registered for the third division league.
Josh Acheampong, 18, is a certain starter on Thursday, while the team also includes youth players Ato Ampah, Shumaira Mheuka, Harrison McMahon, Kaiden Wilson, Richard Olise, and Harrison Murray-Campbell.
“You never know whether we might need one of the guys who play tomorrow on Sunday. Ideally we prefer not.
“We are going to land at 6am on Friday and it’s not normal for one of them to play again on Sunday,” Maresca said.
“But if we need them, they are going to make the effort.”
One player who will start is France international defender Axel Disasi.
“I will just have to put on my gloves and be ready to compete,” he said.
“It is an eight-hour flight and minus 11 so I will be putting on some movies on the plane, be ready and put on two pairs of gloves so I am ready because at the end, we know this is a European game and we have to fight to keep first place.”
Chelsea’s match against Brentford will kick off at 1900GMT on Sunday to give them more time to prepare.
