Chelsea are tonight be without N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva for the Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb but give a debut to Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang will play with a custom-fitted mask, made in Italy over the weekend, and Thomas Tuchel believes that it is successfully protecting Aubameyang’s injured jaw which was sustained in an armed robbery in Barcelona before his £12million transfer.
Denis Zakaria is available again after being given his work permit which wasn’t ready in time for the weekend match against West Ham, and he is named on the bench.
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Meanwhile, Kante remains out with a hamstring injury and Tuchel has chosen to rest his 37-year-old centre back Thiago Silva for the opening group stage match.
While Dinamo are huge underdogs for the clash on Tuesday night, Tuchel has named a strong side given the importance of starting the group well.
Kepa Arrizabalaga starts after some high-profile errors by Edouard Mendy, while Wesley Fofana makes his Champions League debut as he starts in defence.
Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwelll are rewarded for their goalscoring cameos off the bench against West Ham as they come into the side, while Mateo Kovacic starts on his return to Dinamo.
Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Fofana, Koulibaly; James, Mount, Kovacic, Chilwell; Havertz, Aubameyang, Sterling
Subs: Mendy, Bettinelli, Chalobah, Cucurella, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Gallagher, Zakaria, Chukwuemeka, Ziyech, Pulisic, Broja
