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Europa: Moses benched as PAOK host Chelsea

Maurizio Sarri has made five changes to the Chelsea side, as the blues get their Europa League campaign underway against PAOK.

Davide Zappacosta and Andreas Christensen come into the defence for their first starts of the season, while Ross Barkley begins in midfield alongside Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.

Pedro will play as a part of a front three alongside Willian, tonight’s captain, and Alvaro Morata, who replaces Olivier Giroud as our focal striker.

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Victor Moses is on the bench and will be hoping to play a role whenever his service is needed by the coach.

For PAOK, Alin Tosca comes in for suspended full-back Leo Matos.

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga; Zappacosta, Christensen, Rudiger, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Barkley, Willian (c), Morata, Pedro,.

Subs: Caballero, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Moses, Giroud.

PAOK: Paschalakis; Vieirinha (c), Khacheridi, Varela, Tosca; Mauricio, Shakov, Wernbloom; Jaba, Pelkas., El Kaddouri,.

Subs: Rey, Crespo, Limnios, Warda, Bisewar, Canas, Prijovic.

The referee is Alberto Undiano Mallenco from Spain.

Meanwhile Eden Hazard has not traveled with Chelsea to Greece where they will get their Europa League campaign underway against PAOK.

Hazard has featured in every Premier League game so far this season, and scored a hat-trick against Cardiff on Saturday, but was left out of the Blues’ travelling party due to tiredness.

Speaking about the forward, manager Maurizio Sarri said: “He told me after the national team, and the match against Cardiff, he was a little bit tired, so I thought it would be better for him to stay at Cobham and rest.

“Our target is first of all to qualify, and then to qualify in first spot in our group. So, in order to win our group, the match tomorrow [Thursday] is the most important in the group because it’s the most difficult match.”

Chelsea have won every game they have played in so far, but PAOK head coach Razvan Lucescu says his side will be looking to keep their organisation.

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