Frank Lampard is without seven first-team players for tonight's Champions League round of 16 second leg away to Bayern Munich, meaning that a number of underage players have made the trip as part of a 23-man squad.
With Marcos Alonso and Jorginho suspended on top of injuries to Cesar Azpilicueta, Christian Pulisic, Pedro, Willian and Billy Gilmour, Lampard will need to lean on some fringe members of his squad.
He is boosted by N'Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek being confirmed fit to face the Bundesliga champions but five academy players were among those who flew to Bavaria yesterday.
The 17-year-old defensive midfielder Lewis Bate could be named on the bench because of a shortage of options in midfield.
Ian Maatsen and Armando Broja have already made their first-team debuts this season and are part of the group, while Henry Lawrence and Dynel Simeu have also travelled.
Lampard has called on his players to show some pride against Bayern after losing the first leg 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in late February.
He said: "We have to believe we could have the opportunity to do something special. We have to go into the game with that thought, give everything to the game and play with confidence in difficult situations.
"Can it free us up slightly? That is what I expect to see out of the players, not an attitude of this being a difficult match in a negative sense. It has to be a positive sense and we have to tackle this in the right way.
Chelsea squad in Munich: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, N'Golo Kante, Ross Barkley, Tammy Abraham, Willy Caballero, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Kurt Zouma, Mateo Kovacic, Olivier Giroud, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Michy Batshuayi, Reece James, Fikayo Tomori, Jamie Cumming, Emerson Palmieri, Lewis Bate, Dynel Simeu, Henry Lawrence, Ian Maatsen, Armando Broja
