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Chelsea have added two academy stars to their Uefa Conference League squad ahead of Thursday night’s Conference League last-16 second-leg tie against Copenhagen after a 2-1 win last week in the first leg.
Reggie Walsh, a 16-year-old central midfielder, and Genesis Antwi, a 17-year-old right-back, are set to join the already impressive list of youngsters to have made their Chelsea debuts under Enzo Maresca.
Antwi, a Sweden youth international, has made just four appearances in Premier League 2 this season, only one of which was a start. The majority of Walsh’s playing time has come for the U18s this year, making just one substitute appearance with the U21s.
Maresca has used the Conference League as a proving ground for high-potential academy players. His squad for December’s match against FC Astana featured seven Cobham graduates including Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George, who have since become regular faces in Premier League matchday squads.
Highly rated midfielders Sam Rak-Sakyi and Kiano Dyer have also made the Chelsea bows in the competition alongside Ato Ampah and Shumaira Mheuka.
Should Walsh appear against Copenhagen, he will become the second-youngest debutant in club history at just 16 years and 148 days old. He is just ten days shy of breaking the record, held by Ian Hamilton since 1967. He scored on debut in a 1-1 First Division draw.
Both Walsh and Antwi have been pictured training with the first team ahead of the match, where the Blues will look to secure progression to the quarter-finals after winning 1-2 in the first leg thanks to goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez. Mheuka, 17, and Harrison Murray-Campbell, 18, have also trained.
They are the first additions made since February, when Maresca named Cole Palmer, Trevoh Chalobah, and Deadline Day signing Mathis Amougou to the squad.
Opportunities for debuts seem all the more likely as James, Cole Palmer, and Christopher Nkunku are doubts for the match. Maresca reports the three had all returned to training on Wednesday.
James and Palmer have both suffered from illness this week, the former missing Sunday’s 1-0 home win over Leicester as a result. Palmer played through the illness despite suffering from a fever for two days prior and saw a penalty saved in the first half, the first time in his career he had failed to score from the spot. The nature of Nkunku’s issue is unclear.
Should Chelsea get the result over the line tonight, they will face either Legia Warszawa or FK Molde in the next round. Molde lead the tie 3-2.
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