Chelsea vs. Servette: Confirmed Lineups and Predicted Starting 11, Team News - Sterling Absent, Who Will Start in Conference League Playoff?

Chelsea will aim to secure their spot in the league phase of the UEFA Conference League as they face Servette in the first leg of their playoff tie on Thursday, August 22.

The Blues secured a place at this stage of the qualifying phase by virtue of finishing sixth in last season's Premier League table. Should they win this two-legged playoff, the return game of which takes place next week, they will earn a place in the draw for the competition proper.

Enzo Maresca's time in charge began with a 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City last Sunday, although much of the talk around the game was dominated by the decision to leave out Raheem Sterling. The winger will not be involved in this fixture, either, having been omitted from the squad.

Still, Chelsea are expected to have more than enough firepower to overcome the visitors, who finished third in the 2023/24 Swiss Super League and won the country's main domestic cup in June.

Here is the latest team news and predicted lineups for this fixture.

MORE: Who won last season's Conference League final?

Chelsea are expected to make several changes from the lineup that lost to Manchester City, although Reece James is still sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

Filip Jorgensen, Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are in line for potential first starts, while young talents like Tyrique George will be eager to make an appearance.

Raheem Sterling is again missing despite his high-profile omission from their Premier League opener, which led to a statement from the winger seeking clarity on his future. Conor Gallagher has completed his move to Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Jorgensen (GK) — Gusto, Badiashile, Veiga, Cucurella — Fernandez, Lavia — Palmer, Dewsbury-Hall, Neto — Guiu.

Injuries: Reece James (hamstring), Marc Cucurella (hamstring), Ben Chilwell (illness)

Suspensions: N/A

The visitors will be without Victory Beniangba, but they should handle the Nigerian striker's absence just fine. Over the summer, they bolstered their attack by signing Julian Von Moos, Sofyane Bouzamoucha and Usman Simbakol as free agents.

Chelsea fans might not recognize many names in Servette's squad, but Switzerland international Dereck Kutesa will aim to cause problems from the wings. Von Moos, fresh off a cup hat-trick against minnows Signal, adds firepower, while former France youth international Enzo Crivelli is expected to lead the line.

Servette possible XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Frick — Tsunemoto, Rouiller, Severin, Mazikou — Douline, Ondoua — Stevanovic, Antunes, Kutesa — Crivelli.

Injuries: Victory Beniangba (foot)

Suspensions: N/A

Here's how to watch this Conference League playoff match across selected areas of the world's major regions:

International viewers can follow the action via the Chelsea website or app. The purchase price for the stream is £4.99.

USA: This game is not available for live TV broadcast but Paramount+ is where fans residing in the United States can watch games from UEFA competitions exclusively live and on-demand, including Champions League, Conference League and Europa League.

Plans for Paramount+ start at $7.99 per month, $59.99 for the year, and go up to $12.99 per month, $119.99 for the year.

STREAM UEFA COMPETITIONS LIVE ON PARAMOUNT+

Canada: This game is not available for live TV broadcast but DAZN is where Canadian fans can watch games from UEFA competitions exclusively live and on-demand, including Champions League, Conference League and Europa League.

Australia: Again, no live broadcaster in Australia is listed for the playoffs, but Stan Sport is where fans can watch every game of the UEFA competitions, including Champions League, Conference League, Youth League and Europa League.

UK: This game is available for live TV broadcast on TNT Sports. Streaming options are available on the Discovery+ app and website, which offers a FREE trial to new subscribers. 

India: This game is not available for live TV broadcast or streaming in India outside of the official Chelsea app.

If the game is not available to watch live in your location, or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs offer a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.

WATCH FROM ANYWHERE: Sign up for NordVPN (30-day moneyback guarantee)