Chelsea: Enzo Maresca offers Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku Premier League incentive

Enzo Maresca has backed Mykhailo Mudryk to force his way into Chelsea’s Premier League starting lineup by playing a starring role in their Conference League campaign.

Mudryk has started just one league game so far this season for the Blues, substituted at half-time in the 6-2 win at Wolves with Maresca admitting he was “not happy” with the winger’s contribution.

The Ukrainian joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for a fee of up to £88.5million, but has failed to live up to the hype yet, scoring just seven goals in 64 appearances.

Maresca hinted that the 23-year-old will start in Chelsea’s Conference League group stage opener against Belgian side Gent on Thursday, and insists Mudryk and others can break into his strongest XI if they perform well in Europe’s third-tier continental competition.

The Chelsea head coach said: “I think Misha [Mudryk] played from the start against Wolves in the Premier League. We gave him some games.

“They all want to play from the start but sometimes it is not possible. Against Barrow, Misha did very well. I think when he was inside, he was OK.

“Hopefully he can do a good game tomorrow. We can say exactly the same for Nkunku. The club signed him [and Mudryk] as big players and at the moment, they are not playing in the Premier League.

“But things change quickly in football. Right now, the situation is this but it doesn't mean it will be the same for all of the season.

“I don't think with Misha it is a lack of confidence. It's Misha, and he needs to improve something, like the rest. But we are happy with the way he is working.”

Maresca is expected to make wholesale changes against Gent from the side that beat Brighton at the weekend, when Cole Palmer scored all four goals in a 4-2 win.

Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana and Ben Chilwell are the four senior players who have been left out of the club’s Conference League group stage squad submitted to UEFA.

Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen is expected to start, and there will be another opportunity in midfield for young Italian Cesare Casadei, who played under Maresca on loan at Leicester in the first half of last season.