Chelsea have named another of their academy prospects in a senior squad for the first time – and he’s related to an ex-Premier League star.
Enzo Maresca’s side have won all four of their group stage games in the Conference League thus far, scoring a total of 18 goals.
The Italian decided not to include Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana or Romeo Lavia in his squad due to load management, and has often picked players who have not received significant game time in the Premier League.
That has left spaces on the bench for young players to impress, and Maresca has now named 11 academy prospects in his squad ahead of the trip to face Kazakh giants Astana.
The Daily Mail report that, while there is no confirmation of which players will travel to Kazakhstan, the 11 players have officially been added to the UEFA squad for the competition.
While European squads are capped at 25 for senior players, unlimited players can be added to List B, which encompasses players who were born on or after January 2003 and have been eligible to play for the club, uninterrupted, for two years since their 15th birthday.
One of the names included in that squad list is 20-year-old right-back Richard Olise, who signed a new contract with the club back in May.
Chelsea defender Richard Olise pictured (Image: Getty)
He played 10 times for Chelsea’s U21 setup last season, and has also featured in the UEFA Youth League. He can also play at centre-back.
Olise was born in London and has represented England at U18 level.
He is related to former Crystal Palace star Michael Olise, who left Selhurst Park to join Bayern Munich in the summer.
The attacking midfielder was also born in London but chose to represent France, as he moved there when he was young and his mother is French-Algerian.
He has enjoyed a strong start in Munich – scoring five goals and providing five assists in 13 Bundesliga appearances – and will no doubt be watching on Thursday if his younger brother is included as part of the matchday squad to take on Astana.
Featured Image Credit: Getty