Former Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor believes that Chelsea’s decision to omit Cole Palmer and other high-profile names from their Europa Conference League squad is ‘disrespectful to the competition’.
The Blues have taken an arguably unwanted place in Europe’s third-tier competition this season after Manchester United’s FA Cup success last term saw them take the Premier League’s final Europa League spot.
Chelsea secured their place in the competition proper with a 3-2 aggregate win over Swiss outfit Servette last month and they have subsequently opted to leave out a crop of stars for their group stage slate.
Chief among them is Palmer, who is coming off a stunning debut campaign at Stamford Bridge in which he notched 22 goals and 11 assists in the league. The former Manchester City youngster has started the new season in a similar vain , recording four assists and one goal from his first three domestic fixtures.
Agbonlahor blasted Chelsea’s decision to omit the 22-year-old from their 27-man squad and claimed that it showed the side believed the competition is beneath them.
Former Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed Chelsea’s decision to omit Cole Palmer from their Conference League squad
Palmer has started the new campaign in superb fashion with four assists and one goal from three Premier League games
‘I think it’s disrespectful to the competition because they wouldn’t do that for the Europa League or the Champions League,’ he told talkSPORT. ‘They’re looking at the Europa Conference League like, “Eurgh, we’re Chelsea and we shouldn’t be in this… let’s rest our players who might pick up knocks”.
Chelsea also opted not to include defender Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, who have each struggled with injuries since moving to west London.
Agbonlahor continued: ‘Especially with Lavia and Fofana. They’ve had injury problems and they’re probably thinking, “Rest them in the Europa Conference League, we can play a weakened side and then concentrate on the Premier League with some of these players”.
‘I think it’s quite disrespectful to the competition to be honest.’
Chelsea have begun the season under new boss Enzo Maresca in steady fashion with a win, draw and a defeat to their name in their opening three Premier League matches.
The Blues face Bournemouth, West Ham and Brighton in the league before their begin their Conference League campaign against Genk on October 8. And Agbonlahor reckons their apparent disregard for the competition may serve as motivation for their opponents.
He added: ‘If I’m a team that is playing against them, I’m looking at them and would be like, “Come on, that’s a team talk… they’re resting a few players, not putting them in the squad because they’re thin there, the rest of their squad can beat you”.
‘I do think that if I was playing against them I would be like, “Oh, Palmer doesn’t have to play does he? Is this a rubbish competition?”.
Enzo Maresca will be without the 22-year-old as well as Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia for the group stage
The Blues booked their place in the competition proper after a hard-fought 3-2 aggregate win over Swiss outfit Servette last month
‘But I do get it. You need a rest as well, the players do.’
Palmer was due to take part in England’s Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland this week after being named in Lee Carsley squad. But the attacking midfielder returned to his club before the Three Lions’ 2-0 win in Dublin to ‘continue rehabilitation for an ongoing issue’.
Maresca will hope to have his talisman back when the Blues resume their league campaign against the Cherries on Saturday night.