Chelsea can move further clear at the top of Group C by beating Roma in their Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
Antonio Conte's side are currently two points ahead of the Serie A giants after two games and, despite coming into the match on the back of two defeats, they will be confident about their chances, having already beaten Atletico Madrid away from home in September.
Roma have ground out results against Qarabag and Atletico but the Giallorossi now face a much sterner prospect in the form of the Premier League champions.
| Game | Chelsea vs Roma |
| Date | Wednesday, October 18 |
| Time | 19:45 BST / 14:45 ET |
TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM
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In the UK, the game will be available to watch live on television on BT Sport 3, as well as being available to stream live using the BT Sport app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 3 | BT Sport app |
In the US, the game will broadcast live on television on a variety of regional sports channels and it will also be available to stream online using Fox Soccer Match Pass and WatchESPN.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Fox Sports (regional channels) | Fox Soccer Match Pass / WatchESPN |
SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Chelsea players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Caballero, Courtois, Eduardo |
| Defenders | Rudiger, Alonso, Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Clarke-Salter, Sterling |
| Midfielders | Fabregas, Drinkwater, Kante, Hazard, Pedro, Bakayoko, Moses, Kenedy, Musonda, Willian, Scott |
| Forwards | Morata, Batshuayi |
Chelsea will be able to call upon the services of Alvaro Morata, who has recovered from injury, but N'Golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater and Victor Moses are out of action.
Potential starting XI: Courtois; Cahill, Luiz, Azpilicueta, Alonso, Zappacosta; Fabregas, Bakayoko, Willian, Hazard; Morata.
| Position | Roma players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Alisson, Romagnoli, Skorupski |
| Defenders | Luca Pellegrini, Jesus, Kolarov, Moreno, Fazio, Abdullahi, Peres, Karsdorp, Manolas, Ciavattini, Ciofi, Kastrati, Anocic, Cargnelutti |
| Midfielders | Nainggolan, Strootman, Lorenzo Pellegrini, De Rossi, Under, Gonalons, Florenzi, Gerson, Meadows, Marcucci |
| Forwards | Perotti, Dzeko, Schick, Defrel, Antonucci, Cappa, El Shaarawy |
Roma are likely to be without a number of key players, including defender Kostas Manolas, Patrik Schick and Gregoire Defrel, who are all injury concerns.
Potential starting XI: Alisson; Kolarov, Fazio, Peres, Jesus; De Rossi, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Nainggolan, Perotti, Florenzi; Dzeko.
BETTING & MATCH ODDS
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Chelsea are 6/10 favourites to win according to dabblebet, with Roma priced at 9/2 to beat the Blues at Stamford Bridge. A draw is available at odds of 3/1.
GAME PREVIEW
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Chelsea will be aiming to bounce back from their recent league disappointments by recording victory over Roma at Stamford Bridge. Consecutive defeats to Manchester City and Crystal Palace have seen the Blues slip away from the top of the league and they will hope to bring an end to that spell with crucial games on the horizon.
Conte's men have made a healthy start to this season's Champions League campaign and they can go five points clear at the top of their group with a win on Wednesday, which would push them closer to the knockout stage as well as providing a welcome confidence boost.
The full recovery of striker Alvaro Morata is a massive positive for Chelsea, who have lacked sharpness in front of goal without the Spain international, and Conte will hope that he can hit the ground running upon his return.
Indeed, with a league clash against Watford to come three days later and a League Cup last-16 encounter with Everton after that, fans will hope that the Blues can rediscover their winning formula sooner rather than later.
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