Maurizio Sarri has expressed his disappointment that Henrich Mkhitaryan won't be taking part in the Europa League final.
The midfielder won't travel to Baku with the Arsenal squad because of a diplomatic tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
This has led the Gunners man to make the decision not to travel to the showpiece event.
Mkhitaryan's absence is a huge blow to a competition that wants its best players to take part, and Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri says it's a shame for the player and the fans that the competition is not taking place in a more convenient location.
Speaking in his press conference, Sarri said: "Location is a big problem for our fans, another location would have been better.
“I think there is no difference because, probably, the situation will be the same for both teams.
"But, of course, it would be better to play with 30,000 fans of Chelsea and 30,000 fans of Arsenal. You do this job for this match. For these matches. So it's better for everybody to have the fans with the team.”
"I'm really very disappointed for the situation because I'd like to see [Mkhitaryan] on the pitch. In this situation, you only have to respect the decision of the man, not the player."
Just 6000 Chelsea fans will be travelling to Baku for the Europa League final which is now just seven days away.
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