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Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole has backed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to start for the Blues in the UEFA Europa Conference League final against Real Betis. Enzo Maresca's side will take on Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday, May 28, at the Estádio Municipal de Breslávia in Poland.
Chelsea secured a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League on Sunday, May 25, to qualify for UEFA Champions League football next season. However, they have the opportunity to finish the season with a silverware if they can win the UEFA Conference League.
Enzo Maresca has used mostly fringe players throughout the UEFA Conference League this time. However, he is expected to turn towards some of his star players for the Conference League final.
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Joe Cole believes Maresca will play a stronger side against Manuel Pellegrini's side in a European final. The former England international has backed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to start following a stellar Conference League campaign. Cole told Football.London, as quoted by Chelsea.News:
“I think they’ve got to, he’s got to play a stronger side. And that might mean Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall playing. Because you’re going to need somebody who’s a little bit… I think he’s been fantastic, first of all, through this competition. It might mean he starts this game because he’s right for this game. Because you’re going to have to… [Romeo] Lavia’s not playing, first and foremost.”
Cole added:
“So Enzo [Fernandez] and [Moises] Caicedo, they’re going to be probably number one and number two. You don’t know whether he’s going to play Caicedo at right-back. Reece James has been playing in midfield. He’s just got to play stronger side, whoever that may be.”
Dewsbury-Hall joined Chelsea in a deal worth a reported £30 million from Leicester City last summer. However, the Englishman has hardly been used in the Premier League by Maresca this campaign.
Out of his 1657 first-team minutes across competitions this season, 1014 minutes have been in the Conference League. He has four goals and two assists in 12 games in the continental competition this season.
Chelsea keen on Serie A superstar in the summer: Reports
Chelsea are reportedly prioritising a move for AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan in the summer following Champions League qualification. As reported by journalist Simon Phillips (via The Chelsea Chronicle), they want the French keeper to bolster their goalkeeping options.
The west London giants have struggled in the goalkeeping department for a while now. Since Thibaut Courtois' move to Real Madrid in 2018, they have brought in a number of keepers, but none have managed to impress in the long run.
Robert Sanchez is currently the number one at Stamford Bridge and has been error-prone during his time at the club. Maignan, on the other hand, has been a reliable keeper over the years for Lille and AC Milan. The France international's current deal with the Rossoneri expires in 2026, and he is expected to depart this summer. He is reportedly valued at £34 million by the Serie A giants.
