Chelsea FC will face Valencia CF in their opening UEFA Champions League tie at Stamford Bridge tonight. Unfortunately for the hosts, they have been haunted by injury woes. Chelsea manager Frank Lampard stated in a recent interview that his side will not benefit from the services of N'Golo Kante as well as Callum Hudson-Odoi in their UCL opener.

According to the Chelsea coach, both Kante and Hudson-Odoi are not match-fit. The latter has been suffering injuries since April and missed all Chelsea matches since then. Kante suffered multiple injuries this summer, right until the season's start. So far, in this season's Premier League, Kante could start for Chelsea only once. His absence can be a big blow for the home team.

As Bleacher Report confirms, among the other players to remain absent on the field against the Spanish club are Antonio Rudiger and Emerson Palmieri. Rudiger suffered a groin issue during his side's Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Chelsea won that match, 5-2. On the other hand, Emerson suffered a thigh injury during his international break appearance for Italy in their Euro 2020 Qualifier match against Finland. Emerson had been on the pitch for a mere 8 minutes before he was forced to limp off because of the injury. Italy won that game 2-1.

Lampard's UCL debut as Chelsea manager
Lampard's UCL debut as Chelsea manager

Today, Lampard will make his Champions League debut as the Chelsea manager. He will have too many things to worry about before starting his UCL campaign. Chelsea hasn't shown their best of form in their Premier League games this season. Currently, they are placed 6th in the points table with just 8 points to their name. They won two games, drew two more and lost the remaining one before starting their UCL venture.

On the other hand, Valencia is placed 13th in the La Liga points table, with just a single win to their name. Out of the other three games they played, the Spanish side drew once and lost twice. Despite these stats, Lampard can't be over-confident.

Chelsea FC