'Cole needs to be protected a little bit'

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca feels Cole Palmer is a player that "needs to be protected" but insists his side are not dependent on the midfielder.

Palmer was not named in the Chelsea squad for the Europa Conference League group stages and will have the night off when the Blues open up against Gent at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

"It is not about reliance," Maresca explained. "We have already played some games without Cole. For sure, for us or any team in the world, Cole is an extra, something that you need. But we also need to protect some players. They need that."

Defender Ben Chilwell was also among the players left out of Chelsea's Europa Conference League squad.

Asked if he regrets not including Chilwell in the squad given Reece James' ongoing injury trouble, Maresca simply stated: "No."