Astana vs Chelsea LIVE! Conference League match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction today | OneFootball

Blues have travelled eight hours across five time zones for Kazakhstan clash

Chelsea must quickly adapt to unusual circumstances as they take on Astana in the Conference League this afternoon. The Blues have made the eight-hour flight to Kazakhstan and will play in temperatures that are expected to drop below minus-ten degrees, with the time difference making it a strangely early kick-off time for fans back home.

Chelsea have left many of their first-team stars in London, with a dozen academy prospects brought in to bolster the squad. Josh Acheampong is expected to make his full debut, with a contract stand-off now over, while Michael Olise’s brother Richard could also be involved. Follow all the action with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below!

Live updates

3 minutes ago

Maresca plays down favourite tag

Enzo Maresca was asked yesterday if Chelsea are favourites to win this competition.

Yes, is the answer, but he opted for something a bit more neutral.

Maresca said: "I've said many times already about this competition; the main target is to get to the next stage, and then the next one.

“Then when we achieve the next one, the target is to get to the next one. I don't like to think about four or five months ahead."

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

16 minutes ago

Acheampong nears new Chelsea contract

Josh Acheampong is one of the most highly-rated young talents to emerge from the Chelsea academy in recent seasons, but has recently been frozen out over a contact dispute.

The full-back has 18 months left on his existing deal and the Blues are keen for him to commit his future.

In a bid to force the issue, the club told Acheampong he would not be considered for selection while the stand-off continued and he has not been part of a first-team squad since coming off the bench in the September’s Carabao Cup tie against Barrow.

The 18-year-old was also left out of the club’s U21 side for the best part of three months until returning to the fold against Derby at the end of the November.

While no agreement has yet been reached over a new contract, negotiations are heading in the right direction and Acheampong has recently been reintegrated into Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad.

The Chelsea boss said yesterday: “With Josh it’s quite clear. We all love Josh. The club loves Josh. I love Josh. And we are trying to find an agreement with the players. We are close. We are almost there.”

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

26 minutes ago

In the building!

Here’s a look inside the stadium with just under an hour to go until kick-off.

Axel Disasi was speaking yesterday about wearing two pairs of gloves - think we might be a bit beyond that stage.

33 minutes ago

Felix absence offers opportunity

Joao Felix’s unplanned absence paved the way for one more youngster to slot into Enzo Maresca’s team this afternoon and it’s Samuel Rak-Sakyi who gets the nod to make his first Chelsea start, writes Malik Ouzia.

With Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George are also in the lineup, it’s three Cobham graduates.

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

40 minutes ago

Two Chelsea debutants

Big occasion for Samuel Rak-Sakyi and Josh Acheampong, who make their full debuts for Chelsea.

Tyrique George also starts, while it’s a very, very inexperienced bench.

Of those named as substitutes for this match, Harvey Vale is the only with a senior appearance for the Blues.

42 minutes ago

Astana team news

Starting XI: Seisen, Bartolec, Kalaica, Kazukolovas, Vorogovskiy, Ebonh, Chinedu, Tomasov, Marochkin, Camara, Amanovic

Subs: Zarutskiy, Condric, Bystrov, Kuat, Ahanonu, Beisebekov, Osei, Astanov, Basmanov, Gripshi, Karimov, Zhaksylyk

47 minutes ago

Chelsea team news

Starting XI: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Disasi, Tosin, Veiga; Rak-Sakyi, Dewsbury-Hall, Chukwuemeka; Neto, Guiu, George

Subs: Bergstrom, Merrick, Dyer, Vale, Olise, Ampah, Murray-Campbell, Wilson, Mheuka

52 minutes ago

Stand by!

Should be getting all the team news in the next couple of minutes.

Will be very interesting to see how many youngsters Maresca throws in from the start...

1 hour ago

Chelsea youngsters out to shine in Kazakhstan

No fewer than a dozen academy products have been drafted in to bolster the Chelsea squad.

Here’s what you need to know about them...

Richard Olise

Two nights after brother Michael was tearing it up for Bayern Munich in the Champions League, the younger Olise will be hoping for his own taste of European action.

Now 20, the right-back joined Chelsea at the age of eight and, unlike his brother - who also played for Arsenal, Manchester City and Reading at youth level - has continued his development at Cobham.

Kaiden Wilson

Bristolian was spotted playing in an U14 tournament in his hometown and invited to join the Chelsea academy.

A key part of the U18 side that finished top of the Premier League South last season, has since made the step up to U21 level and scored his first goal in last month’s win over Derby.

Read our full piece here!

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