Chelsea head into the final day of the Premier League season unsure whether they will play in Europe next term.
The Blues travel to Sunderland on Sunday with their fate up in the air.
Xabi Alonso will take over the reins at Stamford Bridge in the summer, and the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss has not signed up to not play on the continent.
Chelsea, who currently sit eighth in the table, face competition to finish in a European place. They will need to be at the top of their game if they are to secure a space in a league phase next season.
They are not able to qualify for the Champions League at all, but places in the Europa League and the Europa Conference League are still within reach.
How can Chelsea qualify for Europe?
In order to qualify for the Europa League, Calum McFarlane’s side must better Brighton and Hove Albion’s result on Sunday.
The Seagulls host Manchester United as they battle it out with Bournemouth for the final Champions League place, which will go to the sixth-placed team after Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph. The caveat there is that sixth place will only reach the Champions League if Villa finish fifth.
If Unai Emery’s side end the season in fourth, then sixth place will enter the Europa League.
It means that seventh place will also qualify for the Europa League, with Man City’s place in that competition from winning the FA Cup transferring to the league.
Pep Guardiola’s men are already guaranteed Champions League football.
Brighton are in pole position for that spot, occupying seventh going into the final day, and a win would cement Fabian Hurzeler’s team in Europe’s secondary competition next term.
Chelsea are sat in the only Europa Conference League place available, and they will be looking over their shoulders at Brentford and Sunderland.
The Bees travel to Anfield, behind Chelsea on goal difference in the table. Keith Andrews’ men cannot simply ‘better’ Chelsea’s result on Sunday, since the Blues take on Sunderland.
If Sunderland beat Chelsea and better Brentford’s result at Liverpool, then the Black Cats will steal into eighth.
In order for Chelsea to qualify for the Conference League, they need to avoid defeat on Wearside while also - at least - matching Brentford’s result at Liverpool.
