Chelsea add winger Kenedy to UEFA Champions League squad for the knockout stages
According to football.london, Chelsea have included winger Kenedy to their UEFA Champions League squad ahead of the knockout stages that will begin later this month.
Chelsea finished second in their Champions League group, losing out on the top spot to Italian giants Juventus. The Blues have been drawn against Ligue 1 champions Lille in what can be considered as a favourable tie.
The Blues go into the fixture as defending champions of Europe, after coach Thomas Tuchel led the team to the title last year by beating Premier League winners Manchester City 1-0 on the night. The German also led Paris Saint-Germain to the final in 2020 and will be aiming to make it three in a row this season.
The Stamford Bridge side are currently in Abu Dhabi competing in the FIFA Club World Cup, after qualifying for the semi-final of the competition as UEFA Champions League winners from last year. They will be taking on Al Hilal tonight, with Chelsea’s Kenedy hoping to make an appearance and gain some important minutes for the first team.
Kenedy as Chilwell back-up
Kenedy was recalled in the January transfer window from his loan spell at Flamengo, with Tuchel wanting to keep the Brazilian in the squad as cover for the injured Ben Chilwell, who will miss the rest of the season through injury. Spanish veteran Marcos Alonso is the lone senior left-back in the team, and Kenedy is expected to deputise for the 31-year-old when needed.
January also saw the departure of Lewis Baker from Stamford Bridge, as the player left to play regular football for Stoke City in the Championship. As a result, Kenedy takes Baker’s place in the Blues’ Champions League squad list for the rest of the season.
Although Kenedy is not expected to play a starring role for Chelsea in the Champions League, the Brazilian is still a good option for Tuchel to have in the squad. Despite being a winger by trade, the player is capable of playing anywhere on the left flank.
An injury to Alonso would prove to be devastating for the London side, going into the final few months of the campaign. In such a situation, the club will need Kenedy to step in and do his bit in to ensure Chelsea get through the storm unruffled.
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Chilwell’s long-term injury saw the Blues scour the transfer market for potential replacements, but they eventually settled on recalling their own player from his loan spell abroad. Now back with the squad, Kenedy will be eager to impress his coach and show that he belongs at the club and deserves more game time.
With the Champions League tie against Lille later in the month looming over the club, Kenedy will hope that he gets a few minutes at the Club World Cup this week as an opportunity to prove his abilities. An impressive showing in Abu Dhabi could maybe convince Tuchel to try out the player against the Ligue 1 champions, and allow Alonso a well-deserved breather.