Chelsea leave two senior players out of UEFA Conference League squad as trio added before deadline

Cole Palmer has been added to Chelsea's updated Conference League squad alongside a winter signing who only joined the Premier League club on deadline day.

Enzo Maresca's side picked up a maximum 18 points in the Conference League league phase campaign as they topped the group with wins over Gent, Panathinaikos, Noah, Heidenheim, Astana and Shamrock Rovers.

It was a dominant display from the Blues, who conceded just five goals as they progressed into the knockout phase, where they will take one of Gent, Real Betis, Copenhagen or Heidenheim.

Ahead of their upcoming fixtures in Europe, manager Enzo Maresca has added star man Cole Palmer to his squad alongside Trevoh Chalobah and Mathis Amougou; a £12 million signing from Saint-Etienne.

Clubs can add a maximum of three new players to their A-list following the winter transfer window.

Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, meanwhile, will miss out as they continue to recover from injuries.

Back in October, Maresca confirmed that Palmer was left out of the squad due to load management. "We played some games without Cole, but Cole is something extra that you need," he said.

"We also need to think a bit to protect some players. They need that. There is a reason behind it and I think Cole needs to be protected."

It has also emerged that Mykhailo Mudryk will remain in the Conference League squad despite being provisionally suspended.

The 23-year-old winger, who has not featured for Chelsea since their clash against Heidenheim on November 28, has been unavailable for selection due to a suspected adverse analytical finding.

Back in December, Mudryk addressed the situation in a social media post.

"I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to The FA contained a banned substance," he said on Instagram.

"This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened."

Mudryk last featured for Chelsea in their Conference League clash against Heidenheim. Image credit: Getty

He added: "I know that I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon. I cannot say any more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will as soon as I can."