Chelsea players' concerning reaction to 'horrible' artificial pitch ahead of CL semi-final - journalist
Chelsea will be facing a unique test when they take to the field in Sweden for the first leg of their Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden.
The Blues are in a different stratosphere to their semi-final opponents off the pitch. Chelsea flop Raheem Sterling earns more than the entire Djurgarden team in wages.
However, the playing field could be levelled by the surface the game will be taking place on, with the two sides set to do battle on artificial turf.
There have been numerous concerns raised about the pitch, even from Djurgarden players and staff, with it previously being described as ‘horrible’ according to The Metro.
The Blues will be without Christopher Nkunku and Robert Sanchez for the trip, however these two could be the lucky ones, with the risk of injury that comes with playing on artificial turf.
Chelsea players’ reaction to artificial pitch for Conference League semi-final
Wednesday saw the Chelsea players train on the artificial pitch for the very first time, with journalist Simon Johnson reporting that they were not too impressed with what they had seen.
He said: “Maresca addresses the Chelsea players before they train on the artificial pitch. Some of the players didn’t look too impressed with the surface when they walked out and started bouncing the ball on it.”
Given how important the final four games of the Premier League season are in the race for Champions League, injuries are the last thing the manager needs to deal with in his first team squad.
The likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella are going to be aboslutely crucial for those fixtures, and could leave the Blues thinking twice about their squad selection in Sweden.
Enzo Maresca ‘worried’ about Conference League pitch
Enzo Maresca was asked about his thoughts on the pitch ahead of the game, with him admitting he was concerned about what was to come.
He said to BBC Sport: “It can be a concern. I’m a little bit worried about that. It’s completely different [to grass].
“I know that in the last weeks even some of their players were complaining about the pitch. They play every week, so for us it’s a different one.
“But there are no excuses, no reasons why we are not going to compete tomorrow and the second game at all.”
It will be interesting to see if a number of the players Maresca would have liked to start in a European semi-final will be rested in preperation for the huge game on Sunday against Liverpool.
from Latest Chelsea News and Updates - The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/vt5caRq
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