AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has played down how difficult his side's Champions League games with Chelsea will be next month.
The Blues are set to take on Milan at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, October 5, before a trip to the San Siro just six days later – setting up what is an extremely busy month for Graham Potter. The new Chelsea head coach has taken charge of just one match so far – the 1-1 draw with Red Bull Salzburg earlier in the month – because of the Queen's death and the ongoing international break.
However, when Chelsea do return to action on Saturday, October 1, away at Crystal Palace, it will be their first out of nine fixtures in just 29 days. Two of them are against the reigning Serie A champions, Milan, who are currently in fifth place in the table at the time of writing.
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The Rossoneri are currently top of the Group E table with four points from their opening two games. Milan drew with Salzburg in the opening game before beating Dinamo Zagreb at the San Siro recently.
Milan manager, Pioli, though, has suggested that Chelsea will not be a tough challenge for his squad. He believes their match with Empoli just four days before will be the tougher test for his team.
"I don't think there is that much difference between playing well in Italy and in Europe," Pioli said. "The Champions League does require a higher tempo, but nothing impossible.
"I understand there are expectations around the Chelsea games, but I maintain the most difficult match for us will certainly be against Empoli. When we go into that fixture, I'll have welcomed the players back from international duty only two days earlier. I trust that if we play at our usual levels, then results against Chelsea are certainly within our reach."
Newly-appointed Chelsea head coach, Potter, will be hoping to get his first victory sooner rather than later in October. The Blues make the short trip to south London on October 1 to take on Crystal Palace in their first match back from the two-week international break.
Potter is trying to implement his own way of thinking to his new squad and that could take some time. Todd Boehly and the rest of the Chelsea board are prepared to give the former Brighton boss time to work his magic. Potter is under no illusions that it will be a lengthy process but he revealed after the draw with Salzburg that he is happy with how the players have reacted to the change.
"I've been very positive with the players, their response, attitude, intelligence," Potter said. "They are top players and are working hard for each other.
"There is a nice spirit in the group, but they are disappointed because results haven't gone as well as they would have liked, which is normal, and you can feel that disappointment and frustration. But it is my job to help them get the results they want, that we all want."
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