ENZO FERNANDEZ is making his Chelsea debut RIGHT NOW in the big derby against Fulham.
Chelsea spent a staggering £259.1million in the summer before shelling out a further £329.9m in January - including the British record £107m move for Fernandez from Benfica.
Now boss Graham Potter will have to work some magic to work out his best XI and how to keep all of his big-name stars happy despite a logjam in the burgeoning squad.
- Kick-off: 8pm
- TV channel/ live stream: Sky Sports Main Event
- Chelsea XI: Kepa, James, Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella, Fernandez, Gallagher, Ziyech, Mount, Mudryk, Havertz.
- Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson, Palhinha, Reed, Pereira, Decordova-Reid, Willian, Mitrovic.
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Players in the tunnel
The teams are heading out of the tunnel at Stamford Bridge and the Liquidator is blaring out.
Kick off is coming up next!
Ziyech
Perhaps the biggest surprise in Graham Potter’s team selection is the inclusion of Hakim Ziyech.
The Moroccan winger was in Paris expecting to make the move to join Kylian Mbappe and co but some late hiccups with Chelsea’s paperwork scuppered the move.
Given that Chelsea were seemingly happy to see him go, it’s interesting to see him come straight back in tonight.
Warm ups underway
Both sets of players are out on the Stamford Bridge pitch as they limber up ahead of a crucial match in the race for European football next season.
Kick off is around 15 minutes away!
Champions League squad
Chelsea announced their updated Champions League squad a few hours ago and some big names have been left out.
The club were only permitted to include a maximum of three new players within their 25-man squad for the tournament’s knockout stages.
Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix were included but Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke were not.
Summer signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also omitted...it’s going to be a bit awkward around Cobham ahead of the Borussia Dortmund game in two weeks’ time.
Last match between the teams
These two last faced off just three weeks ago when goals from Willian (who else?!) and Carlos Vinicius were enough to ensure Fulham took all three points from the game.
The match is best remembered for the all-action display of Joao Felix who looked fantastic on his Chelsea debut after arriving on loan from Atletico Madrid just a few days earlier.
Felix’s night took a turn for the worst though when he was sent off for a lunge on Kenny Tete just short of the hour mark.
Graham Potter’s men will be looking for revenge tonight.
Reece James
Chelsea fans will be delighted to see Reece James back in the team tonight.
There’s a good argument to be made that James is Chelsea’s best player at the moment and the team usually look transformed when he’s bombing up and down the right flank.
Ben Chilwell has been named on the bench and once he’s fit enough to do the same on the opposite side you fancy Chelsea to go on a run of positive results.
Players arriving
Some Chelsea new boys are taking their first steps into Stamford Bridge since signing for the club.
Here’s Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk - the Ukranian looks like he could have been a member of Blazin’ Squad with those curtains.
With all those new signings is it fair to say Chelsea are at a crossroads?
Mitrovic
Fulham were one of the favourites to get relegated ahead of the start of this Premier League campaign, but their exemplary form has made a lot of people’s early season predictions look rather foolish.
The Cottagers have their number nine to thank for firing them into the lofty position they now find themselves in.
Aleksandar Mitrovic has already banged in 11 goals this season, many of them coming after isolating himself against the opposition full back and powering home a commanding header.
The Chelsea defenders had better keep their wits about them tonight.
Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea’s January spending has had the football world talking over the past month and we'll get to see their most expensive acquisition in action tonight.
The Blues’ marquee signing came on deadline day with the arrival of Enzo Fenrandez from Benfica for a British record transfer fee of around £105 million.
Fernandez rose to prominence during Argentina’s victorious World Cup campaign after coming off the bench and scoring in the group against Mexico before becoming an integral part of the side.
While he enjoyed a remarkable tournament, his numbers for his previous club make for less eye-catching reading – one goal in 17 games for Benfica after arriving last summer.
The Chelsea fans seem keen on him already though and who can blame them, nothing like a shiny new signing.
Fulham substitutes
Here's the options that Marco Silva has to turn to tonight.
Fulham subs: Rodak, Kurzawa, Tosin, Duffy, Cairney, Wilson, Solomon, James, Vinicius.
Chelsea substitutes
Some big names on the bench for Graham Potter to choose from later on.
Chelsea subs: Bettinelli, Azpilicueta, Chilwell, Chalobah, Koulibaly, Chukwuemeka, Madueke, Sterling, Fofana.
Fulham starting XI
Will Willian haunt his old club for a second time this season?
Fulham XI: Leno, Robinson, Ream, Diop, Tete, Palhinha, Reed, Willian, Andreas Pereira, De Cordova-Reid, Mitrovic.
Chelsea starting XI
Well I was wrong about Enzo Fernandez - he makes his Chelsea debut tonight while Mudryk is handed a first start and Reece James returns.
Chelsea XI: Kepa, Cucurella, Badiashile, Thiago Silva, James, Gallagher, Fernandez, Mudryk, Mount, Ziyech, Havertz.
Fulham team news
Marco Silva is in the enviable position of having almost no injury concerns within his squad for tonight’s game.
Spare a thought for Neeskens Kebano who is currently the only Fulham player in the treatment room at Motspur Park – poor Neeskens, he must be lonely.
Fulham broght in a few players themselves in January with the likes of Cedric Soares and Sasa Lukic coming in through the door, we’ll have to see if Marco Silva throws them into the action tonight.
We should have the official team news in around ten minutes’ time.