Chelsea vs Krasnodar: Champions League preview, team news, stats, kick-off time

Team news and stats ahead of Chelsea vs Krasnodar in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday (kick-off 8pm).

Team news

Kepa Arrizabalaga will make his first Chelsea appearance since October in Tuesday's Champions League clash with Krasnodar.

The Spaniard, who became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when he joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in 2018, has struggled to adapt to the Premier League and was dropped by Frank Lampard following the arrival of Edouard Mendy.

But Lampard said: "Kepa starts. It is about attitude and how you play, his situation now is different with Mendy's form. Kepa is training brilliantly well and acting brilliantly well."

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Lampard is expected to further rotate his resources, with Chelsea having already won Group E with a game to spare.

Billy Gilmour will also start, with the Scotland U21s international chasing full fitness after knee surgery, but Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi are out with hamstring problems.

Krasnodar could be without Yuri Gazinski (back) and Kristoffer Olsson (hamstring).

Who needs what?

Chelsea are already through as group winners.

Krasnodar are destined to finish third and drop into the Europa League whatever happens thanks to their superior head-to-head record against Rennes, who sit three points behind them.

• Champions League news | Fixtures | Tables
• Champions League last 16 draw: Dates and teams

How to follow

Follow Chelsea vs Krasnodar with our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports' digital platforms and on Gillette Soccer Special, live on Sky Sports News and Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm.

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Opta stats

• Chelsea's only previous meeting with FK Krasnodar came on MD2 of this season's UEFA Champions League campaign, with Frank Lampard's side winning 4-0 away from home.
• This will be just the second time FK Krasnodar have faced an English opponent away from home in European competition, with their previous trip ending in a 1-0 victory against Everton in the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League.
• Chelsea own a 100% record against Russian opposition in the UEFA Champions League, winning each of their five such games by an aggregate score of 13-1.
• Victory for Chelsea would give them their highest ever points total in a single Champions League group stage (16), while they would be the fourth English team to gather such a high total after Arsenal in 2005-06 (losing finalists), Man Utd in 2007-08 (eventual winners) and Tottenham in 2017-18 (knocked out in last 16).
• FK Krasnodar picked up their first Champions League victory last time out, beating Rennes 1-0 thanks to a Marcus Berg goal. The Russian side have won just one of their last nine away games in major European competition, however (D2 L6, excluding qualifiers).

Pitch to Post Weekend Review podcast

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Arsenal's derby defeat means they sit 11 points behind Tottenham with just over a quarter of the season gone. Has the gulf in north London ever been this large?

Jasper Taylor is joined by Dharmesh Sheth and Gerard Brand to discuss Spurs' continued fine form, as well as assessing Arsenal's lack of creativity as we ask: was Mikel Arteta expecting the Gunners to sign Houssem Aouar in the summer? And did he oust Mesut Ozil too early?

Sky Sports' digital journalist Oliver Yew also joins the show to give his first-hand experience of fans returning to stadiums, and Kaveh Solhekol is on the Regional Review to talk all things West Ham.

And in part four, we discuss Sheffield United's woes as they prop up the table following the worst-ever start by any club to a Premier League campaign.

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