Team
news, key stats and predictions ahead of Ajax vs Chelsea as the Champions
League group stages continue.
Team news
Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has no injury worries before the Chelsea clash, so
Donny van de Beek and Nicolas Tagliafico should play.
Dusan Tadic, Hakim Ziyech and Quincy Promes are expected to start in attack.
Chelsea are without Ross Barkley for the trip to Amsterdam after the England
midfielder picked up an ankle injury in the 1-0 win over Newcastle at the
weekend.
Barkley joins N'Golo Kante on the sidelines after the Frenchman sustained a
groin injury on international duty.
Defender Antonio Rudiger remains out despite training with the squad on
Tuesday, while Emerson Palmieri is closing in on a return but did not travel
to the Netherlands.
Opta stats
Ajax and Chelsea have never previously met in European competition, with the
Blues the ninth different English team Ajax have faced in UEFA European
competition.
Chelsea are unbeaten in four previous European games with Dutch sides (W2 D2
L0), winning twice against Feyenoord in the 1999-00 Champions League and
drawing two knockout games goalless against AFC DWS in the 1968-69 Fairs
Cup, going out after losing a coin toss.
Ajax have won one of their four home Champions League games against English
teams (W1 D1 L2), winning 3-1 against Man City in October 2012 - in their
most recent game, they surrendered a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2 against Spurs in
last season's semi-final.
Chelsea are looking to win consecutive away UEFA Champions League matches
for the first time since October 2013, when they beat FCSB and FC Schalke
04.
Ajax haven't won three consecutive UEFA Champions League matches since
November 2005, beating Thun twice and Sparta Prague under manager Danny
Blind.
Since losing 3-0 at Barcelona in March 2018, Chelsea have lost none of their
eight away UEFA European matches (W6 D2 L0), their longest-ever unbeaten
away run in Europe.
Quincy Promes is looking to become the first player to score in his first
three UEFA Champions League appearances for Ajax, having netted against
Lille and Valencia this campaign.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction
These are always the same. Three players left Ajax, but they have real
talent and are going well in the Eredivisie. Everybody is raving about
Chelsea's youngsters too - at the weekend I thought they would struggle
against Newcastle.
People are quite rightly complimenting Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Callum
Hudson-Odoi. At this age, they will go through a quiet spell, but does Frank
Lampard keep them in during this or take them out for the Champions League?
Ajax will look to have a lot of possession whereas Chelsea normally get
that. They are a good counter-attack team but Ajax will cause them problems.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-2 (11/1 with Sky Bet)
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