The reason why Joao Felix has not travelled with the Chelsea squad for their Conference League fixture against FC Astana has been revealed.

Astana vs Chelsea - LIVE! Chelsea must quickly adapt to unusual circumstances as they take on Astana in the Conference League this afternoon. The Blues have made the eight-hour flight to Kazakhstan and will play in temperatures that are expected to drop below minus-ten degrees,

Welcome to matchday five of six, the most silliest yet of this UEFA Conference League “league phase”, which sees us having traveled all the way to eastern Kazakhstan to take on Astana. Enzo Maresca barely brought along a team’s worth of senior professionals,

The team news is in from the Almaty Ortalyk Stadium ahead of Chelsea's Conference League clash against FC Astana on Thursday. Enzo Maresca's side have won all four of their League Phase matches so far and are on the brink of confirming their spot in the last-16 of the Conference League.

Chelsea today travel to Kazakhstan to meet Astana in the Conference League. Such a long journey during the most intense part of the season is hardly welcome for Enzo Maresca, though the Blues boss does have the luxury of making wholesale changes to his squad.

Chelsea face FC Astana in the Conference League on Thursday but will do so without having Joao Felix as part of the travelling squad

Our penultimate match in the “league phase” of our first, and hopefully only ever UEFA Conference League campaign sees us travel to the farthest reaches of what UEFA define as “Europe”, all the way to eastern regions of Kazakhstan,