Chelsea
will be looking to kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign with
victory over Schalke at Stamford Bridge in Group G on Wednesday.
The Blues will head into the encounter as favourites and with confidence,
having made a perfect start to the Premier League.
Jose Mourinho’s side have won four games out of four in the English top
flight, the latest of which came on Saturday when they got the better of
Swansea City 4-2 at home.
Diego Costa scored a hat-trick against the Swans at the Bridge and will once
again lead the line for Chelsea against Schalke.
Mourinho is looking to become the first football manager in history to win
the Champions League with three different clubs.
Meanwhile, Schalke are struggling in the Bundesliga at the moment and are
currently 16th in the standings with just one point from three matches.
The Royal Blues will head into the match in London looking to bounce back
from a 4-1 defeat by Borussia Monchengladbach away from home on Saturday.
Team news
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has recovered from his ankle injury and is
likely to be on the substitutes’ bench at least on Wednesday.
Petr Cech could make the starting line-up for the Blues, with Mourinho
stating in his pre-match press conference that he will play the Czech
Republic goalkeeper in a Champions League game at some point this season.
Meanwhile, Schalke coach Jens Keller will be without his captain Benedikt
Howedes. The defender has a hip problem and has not travelled with the squad
to London.
German centre-back Jan Kirchhoff could return from injury and feature
against Chelsea.
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