Chelsea full Champions League squad ahead of Dortmund clash as two stars left out
Chelsea return to Champions League action in a bid to emulate their recent success in the competition. The Blues were not only winners in 2021 but impressed during a run to last year’s quarter finals too where they narrowly lost out to eventual winners Real Madrid.
Their league form is clouding the lead-up to this game, though, with manager Graham Potter preparing to play his first knockout match in the competition. His record from the group stage is outstanding after he overturned a perilous position of just one point from two matches.
He guided his side through as winners with one game to spare after beating AC Milan home and away in back-to-back games, winning four of his five matches in charge so far. The cauldron of the Signal Iduna Park will offer a completely fresh atmosphere for many in the young Chelsea squad, though.
With an 80,000 capacity and a speciality for European nights it will be Potter’s biggest test yet. Dortmund have won six in a row and are unbeaten in eight whereas the visitors have just two wins in 13. It has been a problematic period for Potter who has come under increasing pressure from the fanbase at Stamford Bridge.
This game offers a chance at redeeming some of the faith, and providing fans with another memorable run in the Champions League would go a long way to helping to build a rapport with the SW6 faithful.
Here’s the 23-man squad taken to Germany for the fixture, with two members (Edouard Mendy and Raheem Sterling) of the team out injured.
Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Bettinelli, Lucas Bergstrom.
Defenders: Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana.
Midfielders: Enzo Fernandez, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Denis Zakaria, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lewis Hall.
Forwards: Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz.
