Chelsea will be confident of extending their dominance in the Conference League when they travel to take on Heidenheim on Thursday night.
The Blues have won all three of their league-phase matches so far and in comprehensive fashion, their tally of 16 goals in the competition at least double what any other club has managed.
Enzo Maresca’s side hammered FC Noah 8-0 before the international break and are expected to take another step towards qualification here, before the focus turns to a lengthy trip to Kazakhstan to face Astana next month.
Heidenheim have also picked up nine points, having beaten Hearts last time out. However, they sit 15th in the Bundesliga table after a poor start to the season and now face a huge step up in class.
Heidenheim vs Chelsea is scheduled for an 5:45pm GMT kick-off time on Thursday, November 28, 2024.
The Voith-Arena in Heidenheim will host.
_TV channel_: The game will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.
_Live stream_: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Discovery+ app.
LIVE coverage: Follow all the action with **Standard Sport**’s dedicated match blog!
Heidenheim are expected to be without top scorer Marvin Pieringe in a major blow, after he picked up an Achilles injury against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Chelsea will once again rotate, with Maresca making it clear he will continue to witch between a starting XI for the Premier League and near enough an entirely different lineup for cup competitions.
Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk are all likely to come into the side, though there is a decision to make in midfield. Enzo Fernandez impressed against Leicester over the weekend and that could be enough for him to keep his place in the Premier League team, meaning Cesare Casadei could start in Germany.
Reece James is a doubt with a hamstring injury, but Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto could make the squad.
All the signs suggest Chelsea will cruise their way through the Conference League this season, even while playing a second-string side.
The likes of Felix, Nkunku and Mudryk will again be keen to make an impression and Heidenheim, who conceded five to Leverkusen over the weekend, could be in for another tough night.
This will be the first competitive match between the two sides.
_Odds via Betfair and subject to change_.
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