Sarri guarded over whether Loftus-Cheek will face PAOK

Maurizio Sarri has refused to confirm whether Ruben Loftus-Cheek will play in Chelsea’s Europa League game against PAOK.

Loftus-Cheek, who has been overlooked by head coach Sarri so far this season, has been nursing a leg injury but is in the squad for the trip to Greece.

However, speaking at a media conference on the eve of the match, Sarri was reluctant to say whether Loftus-Cheek was finally set to get a chance to impress.

The Italian said: “Loftus for me is a very good player. But I don’t know if there is a spot for him tomorrow.

“Of course there will be a spot for him in the future. I don’t know tomorrow. It’s not important tomorrow or in the future. There will be a chance for him.

“In the first part of the season it’s very important to play possibly with the same players.

“Tomorrow I have to change four, five players, but it’s impossible in this moment of a season to change 11 players for a match.”

Sarri said Sunday’s match at West Ham and next Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash at Liverpool were in his mind when it comes to selection.

Eden Hazard has not travelled with the squad.

The Belgian has been rested along with defender David Luiz and midfielder Mateo Kovacic, while full-back Emerson Palmieri is also absent.

Kovavcic went off early in the second half of Saturday’s win over Cardiff City after picking up what appeared to be a minor injury.

Sarri said: “David Luiz is in Cobham, because he’s playing very often now after six months without playing. And so I thought it was better for him to have training and rest.

“Eden Hazard, because he told me after the national team and the match against Cardiff he was a little bit tired, so I thought it was better to stay at Cobham, to have training and rest.”