- Chelsea’s upcoming clash against Astana has been moved more than 700 miles away
- The Blues will now play in an unroofed stadium less than 300 miles from China
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Chelsea face fresh schedule issues in the Europa Conference League after their league stage clash against Astana was moved more than 700 miles away.
The Blues had been due to fly to Kazakhstan in December for the third-tier European competition clash but will now travel to a different location closer to the Chinese border.
Renovation work on the 30,000-capacity Astana stadium has forced the venue to be changed, meaning the Blues will play on the other side of Kazakhstan.
Enzo Maresca’s team will make the long journey to the Almaty Ortalyk Stadion in Almaty, on the border with Kyrgyzstan, which is just 250 miles from China.
The change of venue will require Chelsea players to embark on a flight lasting more than eight hours, and Blues fans wanting to travel for the game will face steep costs.
Chelsea face fresh schedule problems in the Europa Conference League after their league stage clash against Astana was moved more than 700 miles away.
Enzo Maresca’s team will make the long trip to the Almaty Ortalyk Stadion in Almaty
The freezing temperatures in Kazakhstan see the mercury regularly drop below -5 degrees during December and, to make matters worse, the stadium Chelsea will play in has no roof.
This means that players, coaching staff and fans will be exposed to extreme winter weather conditions throughout the match, with the possibility of heavy snow and ice.
The multi-purpose stadium also features an athletics track surrounding the field and serves as Kazakhstan’s national football ground.
Chelsea kick off their Europa Conference League campaign at Stamford Bridge against Gent on October 3.
They will then travel to Athens, Greece to play Panathinaikos before returning to London where they will host FC Noah of Armenia.
The Blues will play six matches in the Europa Conference League group stage
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will now take his Blues side to the other side of Kazakhstan
A trip to German side Heidenheim will precede Chelsea’s trip to Kazakhstan before the Blues complete their opening Conference League fixtures against Shamrock Rovers.
Cole Palmer is among the Blues players who will not have to make the arduous European journey after being omitted from Chelsea’s initial squad for the Europa Conference League.
