Hello and welcome to football.london's live Chelsea blog on Wednesday.
The Blues are top of the table in the Premier League with their most recent win coming against Brentford at the weekend.
Thomas Tuchel will now be gearing his side up for back-to-back home games as they first host Malmo in the UEFA Champions League tonight before taking on Daniel Farke’s Norwich in the league on Saturday.
We’ll be bringing you everything you need to know ahead of tonight’s game, including team news. Plus, if you find that you cannot watch the match at home, you’re in luck, as we’ll direct you to football.london’s live coverage of the clash when it begins.
There’s still plenty to focus on off the pitch too. Eden Hazard is linked with a return to Stamford Bridge while summer target Jules Kounde could also be on his way to west London, if reports are to be believed.
With that in mind, we will be bringing you all the latest news surrounding the club, so make sure to stay tuned throughout the day.
Goodnight!
Thank you for following along.
Join us at 7:30am in the morning as we do it all over again.
You can also recap all the news above.
Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Chelsea vs Malmo, Lukaku and Werner injuries and more
What is the latest with the injuries to Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner?
"I don't know too much more than you. Romelu twisted his ankle with the foul in the box and Timo has a hamstring injury. It will take a while for both of them. We need more examinations to be more precise but they will be out for some matches.
Do you regret not resting Romelu now given his injury?
"If I knew before I wouldn't have done it. But you can't know it before and it was necessary that he was on the pitch and he started very strong. I spoke with him about the situation, that I think he carries a bit of mental fatigue around with him. I think that is also normal but he is our number nine and is our reference upfront.
"The best thing against mental fatigue is a goal and we knew we could be the dominant team. We knew we wanted to build our attack today with Mason and Timo around him and him as the reference.
"I had the strong belief that in a Champions League match he could turn things around in terms of scoring and being decisive, which he did because he was super strong in our start. He took the foul and without him maybe it's not 2-0
"So I don't regret it. It's not a muscle injury or because of physical fatigue. He is a little bit overplayed, this is my opinion and maybe I'm not even right. But this was a moment to give him confidence and let him play. I don't regret it, things like this can happen. It was bad luck."
Read what else Tuchel had to say here.
Chelsea fans identify Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner replacements for Norwich clash
Chelsea fans have pleaded with manager Thomas Tuchel to start attacking duo Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi against Norwich after a double injury blow in the Champions League clash against Malmo.
The Blues ran out 4-0 winners on a night where goals and chances were there in abundance but not for Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner who were withdrawn in the first half due to injury blows.
@Abz2900 demanded: 'Tuchel needs to start both cho and havertz against Norwich. Let lukaku and Werner rest till next week.'
@ANKSBAY pointed out: 'CHO and Havertz been flowing since Lukaku and Werner went off. Mount been good as well.'
@PlutoDreamin controversially put: 'If Lukaku and Werner are out for 2 months that will probably be the best thing that will ever happen to Chelsea football club. Odoi LW & Havertz CF is the truth.'
Read more here.
Thomas Tuchel told Romelu Lukaku may miss 'a few weeks' as Chelsea also suffer Timo Werner blow
Thomas Tuchel has been informed of the worrying news that most Chelsea fans won't want to hear going into a busy period in the Premier League.
Both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner were meant to have stellar nights in the Champions League against Malmo but it wasn't to be due to injury woes for the pair.
"It was a real shame because he was warming into the game," he said. "It wasn’t a bad tackle in a sense, it was a coming together but Lukaku’s too strong. It’s a nasty one and I don’t think we’ll be seeing him for a few weeks. It isn’t nice to see. When the ankle goes in that position it’s not nice. He’ll be bitterly disappointed, it’s not nice to see."
Read more here.
'It is on Tuchel!'- Chelsea fans annoyed after Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner injury blows
Chelsea fans are disappointed with manager Thomas Tuchel after Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner were both taken off injured in the Champions League Group H clash against Malmo.
Lukaku, 28, was included in the starting line-up against the Swedish Champions despite Tuchel's comments midweek about the striker suffering with being 'overplayed' and 'tired.'
@Armando pointed out: 'Tuchel says Lukaku has been over-worked. - Starts him instead of resting vs. a pretty easy team. -Lukaku off early for ankle injury.
@RyanWel6645345 had only one person to vent his frustrations at: 'I love Tuchel but this is his fault. Playing a full-strength team against a side like Malmö. Ridiculous really, could have an impact on our next few games.'
Read more here.
Andreas Christensen takes just nine minutes to prove Jon Dahl Tomasson's Chelsea claim right
Chelsea centre-half Andreas Christensen has done it all now for club and country regarding goalscoring.
The Danish centre-half had already broken his goal drought for his country with his wonder goal in Euro 2020 against Russia and he produced similar on Tuesday night to validate a certain prediction that was made pre-match.
Nine minutes into the Champions League Group H clash against Malmo, after an early onslaught, the aforementioned centre-back was on the end of a beautiful Thiago Silva cross from the right-hand side to fire his effort past the helpless Johan Dahlin in the opposition goal.
What a way to follow up the praise that was heaped onto the 25-year-old's shoulders in the pre-match build-up to this game by Malmo manager Jon Dahl Tomasson.
@waterdrinker900 tweeted: 'MY BOY STARBOY CHRISTENSEN FIRST CHELSEA GOAL OMDS GOAT DEFENDER DANISH MALDINI.'
Read more here.
Chelsea fans surprised at what Thomas Tuchel has done ahead of Malmo after pre-match admission
Chelsea fans have been reacting to the changes that Thomas Tuchel has made for the home game against Swedish Champions Malmo in the Champions League.
It was clear that the line-up against Brentford was only makeshift due to multiple absentees and that has been shown in Tuchel's selection for an important group-stage game tonight under the lights of a rocking Stamford Bridge.
Now, with the key duo of Antonio Rudiger and Jorginho back for selection, it is no surprise to see them included in this game tonight with many more matches in respective competitions just around the corner.
The importance of this match cannot be underestimated, especially considering the Blues' slip up in gameweek two of this year's competition in Turin where Federico Chiesa's goal gave Juventus the three points.
@cfcoz_ tweeted: 'Great to see Jorginho and Rudiger back tonight. Hopefully we can control the game and get some fringe players on to finish the game.'
@BuachieObm gave his two-word verdict to this line-up: 'Great News [followed by three blue hearts].
Read more here.
Thomas Tuchel Chelsea selection sends a clear message to squad ahead of vital Malmo clash
Thomas Tuchel has gone for experience over risks in his lineup for the Champions League clash with Malmo at Stamford Bridge.
Making four changes from the team that beat Brentford has brought some of his most trusted figures back into the fray as other impressive fringe figures watch on from the bench.
Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger are back after missing the weekend's game, with Silva's late return from Brazil and Rudiger recovering from an injury picked up with Germany. Further up the field, Ballon d'Or nominees Mason Mount and Jorginho return to the lineup for the first time in three weeks.
In all honestly, the team leaves me feeling a little uninspired, despite the strength of it.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been playing really well, adding a level of elegance and direction to our midfield, but starts this one from the bench in a game Chelsea need fast attacking play.
Confirmed Chelsea team vs Malmo: Romelu Lukaku starts, Antonio Rudiger returns, N'Golo Kante in
Thomas Tuchel has named a near enough full-strength side to take on Malmo in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge this evening.
That means Romelu Lukaku does indeed start despite Tuchel saying that he felt his Belgian striker was being "overplayed" at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Lukaku is joined in the front three by Mason Mount, who starts having been a substitute against Brentford at the weekend, and Timo Werner.
Kai Havertz is once again on the bench for the Blues, as is Hakim Ziyech and also Callum Hudson-Odoi. Saul Niguez is also among the substitutes with Ross Barkley and Reece James.
Chelsea team: Mendy; Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Chilwell; Kante, Jorginho; Mount, Werner, Lukaku.
Read more here.
'Always!' - Chelsea fans agree after Newcastle make Steve Bruce decision following takeover
Chelsea fans are saying the same thing after Newcastle made the unsurprising decision to part ways with Steve Bruce with the Blues' trip to St James' Park coming up.
In a statement, the club confirmed that Bruce's assistant Graeme Jones will take charge of the first team on an interim basis, starting with the trip to Crystal Palace this Saturday.
Bruce notched his 1,000th game as a football manager on Sunday evening as Newcastle were beaten 3-2 by Spurs at St. James' Park in the first match of the new Saudi-led regime.
"Newcastle United can confirm that Steve Bruce has left his position as head coach by mutual consent," a statement on the club's official website read on Wednesday morning.
@312_hamza admitted his nervous state now after hearing this news: 'I feel sick, that ground was bad enough.'
Read more of the reaction to this news here.
Follow along with the live blog build-up for the game
Welcome to football.london's coverage of Chelsea vs Malmo live from Stamford Bridge.
The Blues begin a run of six matches in 17 days by welcoming their Swedish counterparts to London, and look to return to winning ways in the Champions League.
Thomas Tuchel's side squeezed passed Zenit Saint Petersburg thanks to a second half Romelu Lukaku goal at home before falling to Juventus in Turin.
The German coach may look to rotate his Chelsea team this evening with Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger once again available, while Tuchel conceded that Lukaku may be 'mentally tired' and in need of a break.
We'll bring you all of the build up, team news and match action throughout the evening and when the game kicks off at 8.00pm.
Follow updates from football.london's Chelsea writers Sam Inkersole and Adam Newson in our live blog here.
Chelsea hope to prove Zinedine Zidane’s Champions League prediction wrong ahead of Malmo tie
Chelsea will be aiming to prove Zinedine Zidane wrong as they continue their Champions League defence against Malmo on Wednesday.
The Blues take on the Swedish champions aiming to get back to winning ways in the competition after their defeat to Juventus in Turin last time.
Chelsea host Malmo at Stamford Bridge as the defending champions and aim to become only the second club in the history of the Champions League to claim consecutive crowns, after Real Madrid secured three trophies in a row between 2016 and 2018.
The man to orchestrate the Spanish giants’ success was former boss Zinedine Zidane, who ended their long wait for La Decima, whilst then claiming a further two successes.
He previously suggested that it was ‘more difficult’ to win the Champions League after coming into the competition as defending winners.
Talking ahead of taking on Sporting Clube de Portugal in 2016, he said: "We're not the big favourites -- there are always many teams who want to win the Champions League.
Read the full story here.
'Jack Grealish vibes' - Chelsea fans love what wonderkid did in UEFA Youth League clash
Chelsea Under 19s midfielder Xavier Simons has been compared to Jack Grealish after what he did in the Blues' 4-2 comeback win against Malmo Under 19s in the UEFA Youth League.
Simons, 18, was given the vote of confidence from Andy Myers to start in the game that took place at Cobham before the senior men's team face the same club in the main Champions League later tonight.
Despite a rather shaky and uncertain start to the game, the midfielder alongside the rest of the team rose to the challenge of having to overturn a 2-0 deficit.
Remarkably, the west Londoners hit their Swedish opponents for four and managed to claim a vital three points that moves Myers' side up to second place in the group - one point off top placed Juventus.
@cfc_felix_ made a big comparison to a Man City star: 'Xavier Simons with the finesse shot goal and extremely low socks... giving me Jack Grealish vibes [followed by a laughing face emoji].
Read more here.
BREAKING: Chelsea's Club World Cup venue confirmed as FIFA make final decision
This season's Club World Cup is going to be hosted in the UAE in early 2022 after it was moved from being hosted in Japan for later this year.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed the changed location and date for the competition, with Chelsea set to feature for the second time in their history.
The original tournament was going to be held in China for June and July, however, that was changed due to fixture congestion with the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read more here.
Newcastle's latest takeover move has the potential to rock Chelsea's Premier League title hopes
How is it that Chelsea are top of the Premier League and yet it feels like things might be starting to go wrong?
While we can of course take solace in Edouard Mendy's world-class display against Brentford on Saturday evening, few Chelsea fans have been naive enough to overlook the fact the Blues were given a real run for their money by their newly-promoted neighbours.
Defeats at home and abroad prior to the international break helped take the shine off a squad that almost had a sense of invincibility about them, having picked themselves up off the canvas upon Thomas Tuchel's arrival to be crowned Champions League winners. Then, one of the fiercest strikers in Europe arrived.
Murmurs of discontent around Tuchel's style of play and his seeming inability to get the best out of Romelu Lukaku haven't helped matters, and you know you're really feeling sorry for yourself when moves made by other clubs begin to feel like they're going against you.
Read more here from the fan brands team.
Gilmour update
Chelsea academy star Billy Gilmour joined Norwich City on loan in the summer and after starting the first three Premier League games, he has had to settle for a role on the bench.
Read more here about why he hasn't been involved for the Canaries in the past few weeks.
Barkley on the move?
Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is of interest to three Premier League clubs according to reports.
The Blues playmaker is said to be on the radar of Newcastle, Burnley and Leeds as he struggles to break into the side under Thomas Tuchel.
Read more here
Rudiger frustrated by lack of talks
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger is said to be growing increasingly frustrated on the lack of progress regarding a new deal.
The German is out of contract at the end of the campaign and according to Christian Falk, via Sport Witness, the Blues' 'lack of effort is not going down so well' with Rudiger.
Read more here.
Chelsea vs Malmo simulated
Ahead of tonight's big match, we decided to simulate Chelsea vs Malmo with a little bit of help from FIFA 22.
Luckily, the Blues ran out slender 1-0 winners, with the goal coming from Mason Mount.
Read the full story here.
Under-19s secure big win
Well, we brought you the news that Chelsea's youngsters had managed to square the game up against Malmo, well they went one (or maybe two) better.
They ran out 4-2 winners in the end as they completed a hugely impressive turnaround.
Read Sam Inkersole's player ratings from Kingsmeadow here.
Chelsea's young guns fire back
Whilst Chelsea's match with Malmo doesn't get underway for at least another six-and-a-half hours, there is already drama between the two clubs.
Meeting in the UEFA Youth League, the Blues U19s side fell 2-0 down but have now managed to pull the game level.
Follow the rest of the clash here.
Juventus' Tchouameni hope
Juventus are reportedly hoping that Chelsea's interest in Aurelien Tchouameni does not extend beyond just that and they lodge an offer.
The Serie A giants are also interested in the Monaco midfielder but are aware he has interest from elsewhere in Europe, according to Tuttosport.
Read more here.
Antonio Conte to Newcastle?
Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is among the favourites to succeed Steve Bruce after he was sacked this morning.
He joins the likes of Paulo Fonseca and Frank Lampard in the early names being mentioned.
Read the full story here.
Watch Chelsea vs Malmo
Just over eight hours to go until Chelsea take on Malmo in the Champions League.
If you're looking for a place to watch the game, then you've come to the right place. Find all of the details here.
Chelsea announce new shirt
Chelsea have announced that they have released a new shirt commemorating the club's second Champions League triumph last summer.
It's set to set you back a fair wedge though!
