Chelsea are currently preparing for the second leg of their European semi-final clash against Swedish club Djurgarden, and there’s been an update on the fitness of Marc Guiu.
On Thursday night, Chelsea host Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge in the Conference League semi-finals. The good news is that the Blues have a 4-1 aggregate lead after a convincing victory during last week’s away leg in Stockholm.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca must be delighted that his side go into the midweek clash on a run of four consecutive wins across all competitions.
In terms of the Conference League, the Blues will face Real Betis or Fiorentina if they progress past Djurgarden. The final takes place on 28 May in Wroclaw, Poland.
Raheem Sterling earns more than Djurgarden’s entire squad, which underlines why Chelsea are such strong favourites to reach another European final.
Enzo Maresca gives update on Marc Guiu before Djurgarden clash
During Wednesday’s pre-match press conference for Djurgarden, Maresca delivered a positive update on Marc Guiu.
The 19-year-old striker hasn’t been in a matchday squad for the Blues since early February because of a hamstring injury, but he may be involved in Thursday’s Conference League tie.
He does hint that he may keep the Spanish attacker out of the squad to allow for more recovery time, though.
Maresca said via Chelsea’s official YouTube channel: “We don’t have any injuries. Marc Guiu, he could be involved in tomorrow’s squad. Not sure yet, probably for him it’s better to have some more days in terms of training sessions. But he’s very close.”
Marc Guiu is expected back before the season finishes after missing the last few months.
Whether it’s against Djurgarden or not, the teenage centre-forward may be on the brink of a return to lend a hand for the final few matches of the campaign.
The Conference League tournament has been a really successful one for Guiu during his debut year with the Blues
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Minutes played |
| Conference League | 6 | 6 | 284 |
| Premier League | 3 | 0 | 70 |
| Conference League qualifiers | 2 | 0 | 120 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 90 |
| Carabao Cup | 1 | 0 | 14 |
Chelsea aim to add more European silverware
While the Conference League isn’t the most glamorous competition this season, it’s still a major European trophy that gives Chelsea the chance to create a piece of history.
If they win it, they’ll become the first club in history to lift every European piece of silverware.
| Competition | Total | Years |
| Champions League | 2 | 2012, 2021 |
| Europa League | 2 | 2013, 2019 |
| Cup Winners’ Cup | 2 | 1971, 1988 |
| Super Cup | 2 | 1998, 2021 |
Now that the Blues are one match away from the Conference League final, we’re seeing some of the team’s big hitters start more regularly. However, Maresca has used the competition superbly well to give youngsters an opportunity to come into the first-team picture.
At the age of 16, Reggie Walsh made his Chelsea debut in last week’s success over Djurgarden. Let’s wait and see if any more rising stars feature in the second leg.
