Enzo Maresca has spoken on the decision to include four academy graduates in the travelling party for Thursday’s Conference League game against Panathinaikos.
The Blues released their 22 man travelling squad for the game yesterday and it contained a few names which may be unfamiliar to Chelsea fans.
Amongst the players were four academy graduates, Lucas Bergstrom, Sam Rak-Sakyi, Tyrique George and Shim Mhueka and being part of the first team will be an invaluable experience for the youngsters.
Maresca opens up on decision to include four academy graduates in squad
The decision is an indication that the Blues do value their academy and that if you do well you will be rewarded with opportunities.
Whether any of the youngsters actually play remains to be seen , with George the most likely to see minutes having already featured for the first team and been part of the pre-season tour of America.
One academy star who won’t feature is Josh Acheampong with Maresca describing the situation surrounding the teenager as bad.
Speaking ahead of the game in Greece, Maresca was asked about the inclusion of the four youngsters and believes they all have good profiles.
“They have been with us already for different sessions,” he told his pre-match press conference.
“Sam is a good profile, a midfielder, he can play all the midfield [roles], in between the lines. And Shim, we use him as a striker and as a winger. They are good profiles, young ones, and it will be a good experience for them to stay with us.
“We also have Tyrique [George] that is with us. More or less, like Josh, it’s good to have him with us. Hopefully we can give him some minutes, some chances, they can grow and we can give them a different experience.”
Chelsea have prided themselves on having one of the best academies in football and it’s great to see the next generation given opportunities, even if the treatment of more established academy graduates has been questionable in recent times.
