Team
news, key stats and predictions ahead of Chelsea vs Valencia as the
Champions League group stages commence.
Team news
Despite making a return at the weekend, Antonio Rudiger will not feature on
Tuesday due to a groin problem with Emerson also out of action.
N'Golo Kante, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James are back in training after
their respective injuries but are not yet match fit.
Valencia almost have a full squad available for the trip to London, but are
without long-term injury absentees Carlos Soler and Cristiano Piccini.
Opta stats
Chelsea and Valencia have met six times previously in European competition,
with the Spanish club not winning any of these matches (D3 L3).
The only club that Chelsea have faced as often in European competition
without losing as they have against Valencia (six games: W3 D3) is German
club FC Schalke 04 (six games: W4 D2).
Chelsea didn't lose a single match in European competition in 2018-19,
winning 12 and drawing three of their 15 matches in the UEFA Europa League
on the way to winning the final and qualifying for the 2019-20 UEFA
Champions League.
Chelsea's 12 wins in the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League has only been bettered
once in a major UEFA European competition (excluding qualifiers) within a
single season: Atletico Madrid in 2011-12 (13 wins, also in the UEFA Europa
League).
Valencia have reached the UEFA Champions League in consecutive seasons for
the first time since 2012-13 (three in a row), which was also the last time
they made it to the knockout stages of the competition, before being knocked
out by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.
Frank Lampard will take charge of a UEFA Champions League game for the first
time in his managerial career. As a Chelsea player, he made 102 appearances
in the competition and is one of only 22 players to have played 100+ games
in the competition with the same club.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction
Tammy Abraham's goals are gigantic but Mason Mount's performances have been
impressive. England U21 players have scored all 11 Premier League goals thus
far which is remarkable. I thought they would be in trouble at Wolves but I
was wrong. They have good energy and good pace up front. It is an expansive
way of playing for Frank Lampard.
Valencia sacked their manager and I do not see them being as flamboyant.
They will try to counter-attack which will make it hard for Abraham and
Mount to understand.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 1-0 (6/1 with Sky Bet)
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