Sporting v. Chelsea Preview  (Sky Sports)

Sporting Lisbon host Chelsea at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Group G of the UEFA Champions League as both sides look to secure their first win of the campaign.

Sporting, playing in the competition for the first time since 2010, got underway with a 1-1 draw away to Slovenian side Maribor, while Chelsea were held to the same scoreline by Schalke at Stamford Bridge.

Tonight’s tie in the Portuguese capital is the first competitive meeting between the two, but it provides a return to Lisbon for Blues boss Jose Mourinho, who spent 18 months there as assistant to Bobby Robson in 1992.

But much has changed since then, with the stadium being rebuilt for Euro 2004 and Sporting boast a fearsome home record, having not suffered defeat in any of their last 16 European games.

Chelsea were victorious on their last visit to Portugal, though, as Salomon Kalou’s strike secured a 1-0 win over Benfica on the way to glory in 2012.

Didier Drogba was an unused substitute that night and he will be forced to miss out this time due to ankle problem aggravated in training, which Mourinho says will rule him out for "a couple of weeks".

Loic Remy is the only like-for-like replacement in the squad, but Mourinho has confirmed that in-form striker Diego Costa will lead the line despite fears over a niggling hamstring problem which prompted him to be rested against Schalke.

Mourinho said: "Diego starts. There is a risk, yes, but he plays. We assume the risk and he plays.

"Hopefully everything goes well and hopefully from Tuesday until Sunday he has enough period of time to be back again on track and to play against Arsenal.

"It's an important game for us, a difficult game and if I can play my best players and the team I think is the best team to try to get the best result, I'm not going to make any change."

A groin injury keeps Ramires sidelined, while young duo Nathan Ake, a defender, and Mitchell Beeney, a goalkeeper, travelled with the squad as Mark Schwarzer is ineligible for the competition.

Manchester United loanee Nani was Sporting’s goalscorer against Maribor and the Portuguese winger is expected to continue to in the side for the visit of Chelsea.

Sporting have young Egyptian defender Ramy Rabia out with an abdominal injury, but midfielder William Carvalho is due to start after being heavily linked with a Premier League move this summer.