Enzo Maresca has officially confirmed his Chelsea squad for the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League.

The Blues finished top of their group before Christmas, winning all six of their matches.

Cole Palmer, a key player for Chelsea, had been omitted from the squad earlier in the season as the team sought to manage his playing time after a demanding first year in West London.

However, Palmer has now been included in the squad for the knockout rounds, set to begin in the last 16 against either Gent or Real Betis.

Trevoh Chalobah, who recently had his loan spell at Crystal Palace cut short, is also part of the squad, alongside Mathis Amougou, who joined from Saint-Étienne in January.

Notably absent from the squad are Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, both of whom are sidelined due to long-term injuries.

The most surprising inclusion is Mykhailo Mudryk, as the Ukrainian winger hasn’t played in any match since late November.

Mudryk was provisionally suspended by the Football Association in mid-December after reports revealed he had failed a drugs test.

Mudryk has been named in Chelsea’s Conference League squad.

The winger denies ever taking any banned substances but is said to have tested positive for meldonium, a prohibited substance.

It remains uncertain when Mudryk will be cleared to return to football following his provisional ban.

In an Instagram post at the time, he said: “This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and I am working closely with my team to understand how this could have happened.

“I know I have done nothing wrong and remain hopeful I will return to the pitch soon. I cannot say more now due to confidentiality, but I will as soon as I can.”

Chelsea released a statement at the time, saying: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm that the Football Association has recently contacted our player Mykhailo Mudryk regarding an adverse finding in a routine urine test.”