Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi hopes they can continue their strong form in Europe and in the Premier League throughout the season, but says the players are not yet thinking about winning trophies.

"We all know it's going to be a tough season with a lot of games," he said. "We have quality in the team and we can say we are first in the Conference League and second in the Premier League so hopefully we can continue like that.

"At this moment, we don't think like that [winning trophies]. We just keep going our way, which is perform well, play well and win games. We want to keep this feeling.

"We work hard and we have to stay humble. We'll see how it goes."

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You're right Rob.

Teenagers Ato Ampah, Shim Mheuka, Kiano Dyer, Harrison Murray-Campbell, and Richard Olise (brother of Bayern Munich's Michael) make up a large majority of a very inexperienced bench for the blues.

What an opportunity it could be for some of them to impress first team boss Enzo Maresca.

After an eight-hour flight to Kazakhstan Chelsea have been met with very cold and snowy conditions in the city of Almaty.

Local temperatures are forecast to be as low as -11C.

Defender Axel Disasi told the media yesterday that he will be wearing at least two pairs of gloves to help stave off the cold, while boss Enzo Maresca said he will be wearing "many layers."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea make 10 changes for the game, with Pedro Neto starting among a mixture of fringe players and youngsters.

Eighteen-year-old winger Tyrique George starts, as does striker Marc Guiu and defender Josh Acheampong - both 18 - and 19-year-old midfielder Samuel Rak-Sakyi.

Astana XI: Seisen, Bartolec, Kazukolovas, Marochkin, Vorogovskiy, Amanovic, Kalaica, Tomasov, Ebonh, Camara, Charles Chinedu

Subs: Zarutskiy, Condric, Bystrov, Kuat, Ahanonu, Beisebekov, Osei, Astanov, Basmanov, Gripshi, Karimov, Zhaksylyk

Chelsea XI: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Disasi (c), Tosin, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Rak-Sakyi, Pedro Neto, Chukwuemeka, George, Guiu

Subs: Bergstrom, Merrick, Murray-Campbell, Olise, Wilson, Dyer, Vale, Ampah, Mhueka

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says Chelsea's 16-hour round trip to Kazakhstan for their Europa League game against Astana is "not normal."

"Eight hours [one way] is not a normal time [to travel] for a game, but we have to go there, we have to play and we want to try to do our best, thinking also about the next game," said Maresca

The Blues face an eight-hour flight for the 3,700-mile (6,000km) journey to Almaty, where they will play Astana because of renovations to their home stadium in the Kazakhstan capital 600 miles away.

The Italian confirmed a number of first-team players will be rested for the trip, including England winger Noni Madueke, with Portugal winger Pedro Neto suspended for Sunday's match against Brentford.

Maresca added, "You never know whether we might need one of the guys who play tomorrow on Sunday. Ideally we prefer not. We are going to land at 6am on Friday and it's not normal for one of them, if they land at 6am on Friday, to play again on Sunday."

We expected Enzo Maresca to make plenty of changes for this game with only three days rest before they face Brentford at home in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Chelsea boss has handed starts to two youngsters, Tyrique George and Sam Rak-Sakyi, who have been training with the squad in recent weeks.

We'll bring you the full team news shortly.

As ever we want to hear your thoughts on this afternoon's Conference League action as Chelsea look to make it five wins from five.

Simply write in via the options listed above and please make sure to add your name to the end of your messages.

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With two games left to play in the Europa Conference League league phase it is still all to play for.

Chelsea occupy top spot on goal difference, with themselves and Legia Warsaw the only sides to have won four games out of four.

Three points is the difference between third place and fifteenth with the automatic qualification spots and play off spots still up for grabs.

We've reached matchday five of six in the Europa Conference League league phase and Chelsea are sitting comfortably at the top of the standings.

Enzo Maresca's side have four wins from four so far and remain one of just two sides to still hold a 100% record in the competition.

Grab a brew and join us as we take you through their away trip to a very chilly Kazakhstan to face Astana.