Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink has suggested that he will opt against starting any of the club's academy players against Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.
Striker Tammy Abraham played the final 16 minutes of the 1-1 draw away at Liverpool on Wednesday night, with Kasey Palmer and Fikayo Tomori also featuring on the bench.
The Blues have little to play for in their final fixture of the season, but Hiddink has said that does not necessarily mean that the club's youngsters will secure a starting role.
In his pre-match press conference, the Dutchman said: "They must deserve it. They deserve it by working but it's a rather huge step to make and some need a little bit more time to practise with the first team.
"Recently we integrated Kasey Palmer with the first team but then they have to make a step, like Traore has done in the last half-year, more towards men's football. Abraham has done it because he's very open with his mentality and he works hard. He's not afraid to come in.
"We have talents in our Academy but that's the start, not the end. It's the start of working very hard and the players have to overcome the first period when they practice with the big guys. I'm not going to expose players at this moment."
Chelsea need to register three points against the Premier League champions to guarantee ninth place in the table.
Darren Plant
