Chelsea will reignite their old rivalry with Leeds United when they travel to Elland Road on Wednesday night.
Enzo Maresca’s side are in great form at the moment, avoiding defeat to Arsenal last weekend despite going down to 10 men.
It left them third in the Premier League table, still just six points behind the division’s leaders.
Injury News ahead of the trip to Leeds…
Enzo Maresca will be without:
Levi Colwill (knee)
Dario Essugo (thigh)
Romeo Lavia (quad)
Moises Caicedo (suspended)
Levi Colwill playing for Chelsea against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 Club World Cup final.
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
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Leeds manager Daniel Farke thinks that Chelsea can win the title, while midfielder Jaka Bijol is under no illusion about just how tough Leeds’ clash against the Blues is going to be.
Jaka Bijol before the Carabao Cup match between Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United
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Jaka Bijol claims Chelsea can beat anyone
Despite being such a young team, Bijol is adamant that Chelsea can go toe-to-toe with any outfit in the world and come out on top.
Speaking about Chelsea ahead of his side’s game against them via Leeds’ official club website, the 26-year-old said: “They are a really good young team that are just getting better as time passes. When they’re on their top level, they can beat literally everyone.”
With Bijol and his teammates in the relegation zone, it is a match that Maresca’s men will be expected to win.
Our XI to face Leeds!
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However, they cannot get complacent, especially given some of the attackers that Farke has at his disposal.
Four Leeds attackers have scored against Chelsea in the past, though one has been ruled out of Wednesday night’s Premier League fixture.
Dan James, who netted in Manchester United’s 4-0 victory over Chelsea during the 2019/20 season, will be unavailable for selection because of injury.
Estevao celebrates goal for Chelsea against Barcelona
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Barcelona and PSG wins support Jaka Bijol’s claim
Before their 1-1 draw with Arsenal, Chelsea beat Barcelona, one of the best clubs in the world, 3-0.
In the summer, the Blues also defeated European champions Paris Saint-Germain by the same scoreline, showing that they really can beat any team when they are at the top of their game.
Chelsea’s problem is consistency and beating teams such as Leeds. If the Conference League holders can fix that, there is no reason why they cannot challenge for the title. It is why Wednesday night’s fixture is going to be a huge one.