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Chelsea vs Sevilla preview, team news, kick-off

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).

Source: Sky Sports