Three Chelsea players at risk of Champions League ban in fresh selection headache

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Three Chelsea stars are walking a disciplinary tightrope in the trip to Napoli as the Champions League league phase comes to a close

Chelsea have several suspension concerns(Image: Steve Bardens - AMA/Getty Images)

Champions League suspension rules explained with Chelsea trio at risk

1. Disciplinary Background: Chelsea are in need of a positive result in their clash against Napoli in their final league phase fixture. With several players facing potential suspensions, the match in Naples possesses consequences that go beyond Wednesday's match.
2. The Suspension Rule: Due to UEFA regulations, any player who accumulates three yellow cards is handed an automatic one-match suspension that is not wiped until the completion of the quarter-finals. This means cautions picked up during the league phase carry significant weight and can impact squad availability in later rounds.
3. The At-Risk Trio: The three players currently in danger of earning a ban are Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro, who have all received two yellow cards each in Europe this season. A third booking for any of them against Napoli would result in them being ruled out of the next European fixture.
4. Selection Headache: The importance of Fernandez and Pedro in particular will give Liam Rosenior quite the issue on whether to start them amid the risk of them being banned for their next game, be it in the play-off round of the knockout stage.
5. Other Booked Players: The likes of Moises Caicedo, Estevao, Malo Gusto, Jamie Gittens, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo have been all booked once in Europe this season. Rosenior will need his players to maintain their discipline.
6. Existing Injuries: Even with Chelsea's immense squad depth, their injury list continues to grow with Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, Filip Jorgensen and Adarabioyo all on the sidelines.
7. Cole Palmer Issue: The England star has endured an injury-hit season thus far with just 13 appearances across all competitions to his name. Despite netting in the Blues' 2-0 win over Brentford less than two weeks ago, he was ruled out of their subsequent match against Crystal Palace with a thigh injury.
8. Recent Form: An unconvincing 1-0 win over Pafos saw Chelsea rise five places in the league phase table. With their automatic passage into the knockout stages not yet confirmed, the Blues will need to be in top form to best the Italian champions.
9. READ MORE: What Liam Rosenior is doing at Chelsea speaks volumes as ultimate goal revealed