Only 62 hours apart – Chelsea European semi to impact on Newcastle United clash? | OneFootball

The Newcastle United match against Chelsea is fast approaching.

Sunday’s game potentially key to which club(s) end up qualifying for the Champions League.

After the 1-1 draw at Brighton, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United have had a full free week to prepare for this huge game.

Whilst Chelsea had their Europa Conference League semi-final second leg to play at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, having also played last Sunday against Liverpool.

That game scheduled to finish only around 62 hours before the game at St James’ Park kicks off.

Newcastle United fans hoping to see some kind of negative impact, with Chelsea having to play two matches so close together.

Sadly, the lack of Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge matched the lack of first choice players on Thursday night.

A feeble crowd of 32,464 for a European semi-final watched a Chelsea reserve side win 1-0 against Swedish minnows Djurgarden to seal their place in the Europa Conference League final later this month.

Chelsea ‘doing a Liverpool‘ in leaving pretty much all their best players out last night, making ten changes (Liverpool ‘only’ the six outfield changes at Stamford Bridge last Sunday), with Cucurella the only one to start both games AND he only played the first half last night.

Hopes of injuries, fatigue, whatever for Chelsea’s star players not realised, ahead of the Newcastle United match.

At the same time, having this extra game can’t have helped Chelsea’s preparations for the Newcastle match, as at the very least it will have been a distraction for Enzo Maresca and his squad, on and off the pitch.

As always though, you have to simply concentrate on your own team’s focus and planning, which Eddie Howe will have been full on with this past week, ahead of High Noon at St James’ Park on Sunday.