Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed he may allow some of the first-team players to play for the relegation-threatened Under-23 side in a must-win match on Sunday.
It may sound surprising to those who do not follow the academy and the development squad, in particular, but Chelsea U23 are in a bad spot at the moment.
Except for a few, the U23s are mostly teenage talents who also play for the Under-18 sides.
Chelsea U23 may still escape relegation if they can win against sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur U23 on Sunday.
Obviously, the club would like the U23 side to stay in the first division and keep playing against higher-level opponents.
There have been reports that the club would send some senior players to play in the crucial match as competition rules allow each team to field four players over the age of 23.
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Tuchel confirmed the plan after the 2-2 draw with Wolves on Saturday, although he refused to name the players.
“Yeah, we will decide it first, then we will tell you,” the German said in his post-match press conference when asked if any of his players will play for the U23s.
According to Goal’s Nizaar Kinsella, Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr are among the first-team players who may feature on Sunday.
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