Chelsea vs Ajax live: Team news and updates as Blues look to maintain strong form in Champions League clash

Cole Palmer’s crushing injury setback is down to Chelsea’s “impossible” pre-season, according to club legend Pat Nevin.

Until the advent of the Conference League in 2021/22, Chelsea and Ajax were two of just five clubs, alongside Bayern, Juventus and Man United, to have won all three major Uefa titles.

The Blues, current holders of that fourth crown, are the only team to have won all four.

“We have Marc [Guiu] and we have also Tyrique [George], who has played games as a nine in the past; he did very well previously playing in that role, such as against Benfica,” Maresca said when asked who could lead the line against Ajax.

“We trust Marc. We trusted him already last year and he was always playing and training with confidence. We gave him some Premier League minutes, which shows we trust Marc.

“Now he’s with us [following his loan recall] and he’s going to play games for us, for sure.”

Enzo Maresca said that Chelsea would wait and see how Enzo Maresca performed in Tuesday’s training session to see if he is fit to play tonight.

“Enzo took part in the session yesterday (Monday),’ Maresca explained during his pre-match press conference.

“We have one more session and then we will decide what we will do with him [against Ajax].”

When Strasbourg were left bankrupt and demoted to the amateur fifth tier of French football in 2011, they were a club in crisis. Strasbourg are now vying for the Champions League. Again, they are a club in crisis.

At the epicentre of Alsace, a fiercely proud region on the French-German border, there is the sinking feeling that an identity is being lost – extracted from a football club that for so long has galvanised the masses like few manage in France. A string of alleged “deception and lies” has turned Strasbourg into an entity no longer recognised by a vocal contingent of its own people.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Acheampong , Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho; George

Ajax XI: Jaros; Rosa, Gaaei, Baas, Mokio; Gloukh, Sutalo, Taylor; Edvardsen, Weghorst, Godts

For Ajax, Owen Wijndal has a muscular problem picked up during the defeat to Marseille and the 25-year-old remains out of contention. Branco van den Boomen is dealing with a back injury and will also miss the game.

Joao Pedro will miss the Benfica match due to being suspended by a red card in the Blues’ last Champions League outing.

Chelsea are still missing Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Dario Essugo, Benoit Badiashile and Liam Delap who are all injured. Enzo Fernandez is also a doubt due to a knee problem.

Viewers in the UK can watch the match on TNT Sports 2 and TNT Sports Ultimate with coverage starting at 7pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the match online via Discovery+.

Chelsea’s encounter with Ajax in the Champions League kicks off at 8:00pm BST on Wednesday 22 October at Stamford Bridge in London.