Article body analysed

Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo was almost another victim at Stamford Bridge as he was left out of their Europa Conference League squad. The centre-back signed on a free transfer from west London rivals Fulham this summer, penning a four-year deal. He was on the bench for Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City in their opening Premier League fixture, with Erling Haaland and ex-Blues star Mateo Kovacic firing the visitors to victory either side of the break. But Adarabioyo was originally unavailable for Thursday’s Europa Conference League play-off against Swiss side Servette. He, Wesley Fofana, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell were all missed off the Blues’ submitted squad list for the game. However, talk SPORT understands the Blues didn’t mean to leave Adarabioyo out and it was an administrative error. The mistake has since been corrected and he’s been added to the squad for the fixture. The former Fulham defender was a big hit at Craven Cottage, making 132 appearances for the Cottagers from 2020 to 2024 and even bagging five goals and two assists in that time. And with Fofana not in the squad with Enzo Maresca likely to be managing his minutes during his return from injury, it’s a perfect opportunity for Adarabioyo to slot in and make his debut. Sterling, meanwhile, was left out of the squad for the Man City game, too. His camp released a statement on the omission before kick-off, highlighting a want for ‘clarity’ from the club over the decision. Chilwell was also absent and is expected to leave. New Blues boss Maresca has already stated the defender does not fit into his playing style. Captain Reece James is in the squad, but Thursday’s game is likely to come too soon for the defender as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Marc Cucurella - who was haunted by his Erling Haaland Euro 2024 song during the game with City - is also a doubt after he was withdrawn from the game with an apparent knee issue. Meanwhile, Blues academy product Conor Gallagher's transfer saga has come to an end after he finally completed his move to Atletico Madrid. Keep up-to-date with all the latest football fixtures, results and standings in our new match centre. This service is provided on talk SPORT Ltd's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy.