After a disappointing defeat at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday, Chelsea will want to bounce back straight away when they face Panathinaikos in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.
Enzo Maresca's side got their European campaign off to good start earlier this month when they beat Gent 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.
Panathinaikos, meanwhile, were held to 1-1 draw by Bosnian outfit FK Borac Banja Luka.
Diego Alonso's side should not be underestimated, however. They boast a plethora of talent in their squad, including former Premier League players Tete and Facundo Pellistri, as well as Morocco international Azzedine Ounahi, who last year was nominated for the African Footballer of the Year award.
Speaking with the media in Athens on Wednesday ahead of the game, Maresca said: "Tough game, for sure. Panathinaikos are a good team. I've watched many games with the new manager, so for sure, it will be a tough game."
Caicedo and Colwill stay at home
On Wednesday, Chelsea named their 22-man squad that had travelled to Greece for the match against the 20-time Super League champions, and there were a number of notable omissions, as well as some surprise inclusions.
Marcus Bettinelli, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, and Cole Palmer did not travel as they are not registered for the competition.
Meanwhile Levi Colwill, Moises Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson, Reece James, and Malo Gusto have also stayed at home.
Teenagers Samuel Rak-Sakyi and Shumaira Mheuka, both of whom currently play in Chelsea's academy, have made the trip, however.
Striker Mhueka, who joined the Blues from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022, only turned 17 on Sunday.
Jorgensen to start
While fielding questions from the press, Maresca confirmed that Danish shot stopper Filip Jorgensen will start against Panathinaikos.
The 22-year-old started Chelsea's Conference League qualifiers against Servette and also featured in win over Gent, but was left out of the squad for the defeat to Liverpool.
"Yes, he is available and is going to play," Maresca responded when asked about Jorgensen.
Another player who was left out at Anfield was winger Mykhailo Mudryk.
Maresca confirmed that the decision to omit the Ukraine international was a technical one, but that he is available for Thursday.
"What I can say is we try to work with Misha every day and hopefully he can get better and better day by day with us," the Italian coach explained.
Chelsea's full-squad for Panathinkaikos game
Here is Chelsea's full 22-man squad for Thursday's game against Panathinaikos:
Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Lucas Bergstrom
Defenders: Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Cesare Casadei, Carney Chukwuemeka, Samuel Rak-Sakyi
Forwards: Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Christopher Nkunku, Jadon Sancho, Tyrique George, Marc Guiu, Shumaira Mheuka
Chelsea predicted line-up versus Panathinaikos
Here is how Everything Chelsea thinks the Blues will line-up against Panathinaikos:
Predicted starting XI: Jorgensen; Veiga, Disasi, Badiashile, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall, Fernandez, Chukwuemeka; Neto, Nkunku, Mudryk.
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