Chelsea will be hoping to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Conference League this week as they host Copenhagen in the second leg of the Round of 16.
The Blues walked away from Denmark with a slender 2-1 lead over their opponents, and will still need to take the return fixture at Stamford Bridge seriously if they are to carry their run on to what is an expected trophy.
Every Premier League game is important right now, with Chelsea looking to qualify for the Champions League for next season by finishing in the top five of the table.
The Blues are currently fourth, however face big games against the current top three before the campaign comes to an end.
With the crucial nature of the domestic fixtures, there may be a case for Enzo Maresca to take some risks with rotating his side for the second leg of the tie against Copenhagen, despite the fact the tie is very much not done.
Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Enzo Maresca should start Shumaira Mheuka vs Copenhagen
With Tyrique George likely to start, there could be an argument for the other youngster who appeared in the first leg, Shumaira Mheuka, to also keep his place in the side.
Mheuka set a 24-year record at Chelsea for being the new youngest player to start a European game, however he will likely be looking to forget the majority of what actually happened on the pitch.
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The young striker couldn’t get into the game in the first half, and was replaced at the break, ironically when the Blues finally got into their groove and earned themselves the lead.
Mheuka stats vs Copenhagen Total
Minutes 45
Shots 0
Touches 9
Completed passes 4
Strikers being unable to get themselves into the game is not uncommon on tough away nights in Europe, however fans can’t help but compare to Nicolas Jackson, who will always do whatever he can to get involved in proceedings.
Photo credit should read Michael Barrett Boesen / GocherImagery/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Photo credit should read Michael Barrett Boesen / GocherImagery/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Nevertheless, the Senegal international and tournament top scorer Marc Guiu are currently out injured, there are limited options to start up front at Stamford Bridge right now.
Maresca should keep the faith with Mheuka, allowing Pedro Neto a well-earned rest after the mammoth effort he has been putting into recent games.
Chelsea players really excited by Mheuka
Mheuka has been involved in first team proceedings for a while now, and made the trip to the game against Astana with plenty of other youngsters, making his debut at the time.
Tosin Adarabioyo praised Mheuka as a ‘top talent’ at this time, with plenty of other players very excited by what the striker can do in his Blues career.
First team star Romeo Lavia is a big fan of Mheuka as well, tipping him to be one of the youngsters at the club who will break into the first team soon.
With the Cobham star not yet having a fair chance to make his mark as a first team player, Chelsea should start Mheuka against Copenhagen to let him prove he can compete at the top level.