Team
news and stats ahead of Chelsea vs Sevilla in their opening Champions League
group stage game on Tuesday; kick-off 8pm.
Team news
Edouard Mendy is expected to miss Chelsea's Champions League clash with
Sevilla. The Senegal goalkeeper missed Saturday's 3-3 Premier League draw
with Southampton due to a thigh complaint.
The out-of-form Kepa Arrizabalaga endured another difficult afternoon
against the Saints, but could still start ahead of Willy Caballero. Brazil
defender Thiago Silva could come back into the reckoning having missed the
weekend draw due to tiredness following the international break.
Frank Lampard also confirmed midfielder Billy Gilmour is nearing a return to
action as he stepped up his recovery from a knee operation.
Sevilla will be missing centre-back Jules Kounde after he recently tested
positive for coronavirus, but the Europa League champions otherwise have a
fully fit squad.
Julen Lopetegui's side suffered their first La Liga defeat since February
when they were beaten 1-0 by Granada on Saturday and there is likely to be
changes in personnel.
Luuk de Jong - who scored three goals in the Europa League semi-final and
final in August - and Lucas Ocampos, who netted an 88th minute winner
against Wolves in the last eight, were half-time substitutes at the weekend
but could start from the off on Tuesday.
Opta Stats
This will be the first European encounter between Chelsea and Sevilla.
Chelsea have won just one of their last nine UEFA Champions League matches
against Spanish opponents (D5 L3), a 2-1 win at Atlético Madrid in September
2017.
Sevilla have won each of their last three major UEFA European matches
against English teams, beating Manchester United in March 2018 in the
Champions League last 16, Wolves in August 2020 in the Europa League
quarter-final and Man Utd again also in August 2020 in the Europa League
semi-final.
Chelsea have lost their last two UEFA Champions League matches - the Blues
have never lost three games consecutively in major UEFA European
competition.
Sevilla have won just one of their seven away major UEFA European matches in
England (D3 L3), a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in March 2018. All seven of their
away games have been against different teams - Bolton, Tottenham, Arsenal,
Man City, Leicester, Liverpool and Man Utd.
Chelsea have only lost their first match in a UEFA Champions League campaign
twice in 16 previous seasons in the competition (W10 D4), although they did
lose 1-0 on MD1 last season at home to Valencia to a Rodrigo goal.
This is Sevilla's sixth appearance in the UEFA Champions League - they
haven't lost on MD1 since 2007/08, when they were beaten 3-0 at the Emirates
Stadium by Arsenal; they are unbeaten in four MD1 matches since (W2 D2).
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard will become only the second Englishman to
manage in two UEFA Champions League campaigns, after Sir Bobby Robson (3 -
1993/94, 1998/99 & 2002/03). The last Englishman to manage an English side
in consecutive European Cup campaigns was Joe Fagan in 1983/84 and 1984/85
with Liverpool.
Sevilla's Munir El Haddadi was directly involved in a goal every 74 minutes
in their victorious 2019/20 UEFA Europa League campaign (5 goals, 1 assist),
although El Haddadi is yet to find the net in the UEFA Champions League,
playing nine games for Barcelona between 2014 and 2018.
Chelsea's Timo Werner has been directly involved in nine goals in his last
11 UEFA Champions League appearances, all for RB Leipzig between November
2017 and March 2020 (7 goals, 2 assists). Werner is looking to become the
third German player to score for Chelsea in the Champions League, after
Michael Ballack (4 goals) and André Schürrle (2).
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