Chelsea will face a nightmare run of fixtures in October and the start of November that will make or break their season. The World Cup being in Qatar in the winter this year has thrown the fixture schedule into chaos, with domestic league taking a month-long break between November and December.
Not only are there Premier League fixtures to think about, but there are also the European competitions, with the Blues, and everyone else, having to get through the Champions League group stages before the World Cup begins. And the full extent of the fixture nightmare has been laid bare after the Champions League fixtures were announced.
Chelsea were drawn in Group G in Thursday's draw in Istanbul, alongside AC Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb. That means there is only one long trip for Thomas Tuchel's side, which is a blessing considering the number of matches the side will have to play.
READ MORE: Chelsea 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage fixtures confirmed
The Champions League gets under way in less than two weeks' time, with Chelsea getting that long trip to Croatia out of the way first up. But that in itself causes a problem. That is because the Blues face West Ham in a big London derby live on Sky Sports at 2pm on Sunday, September 4. They then travel to Zagreb for the Champions League clash on Tuesday, September 5 for a 5.45pm kick-off. That is barely 48 hours after the Hammers clash ends.
The real nightmare comes in October and the start of November. Chelsea face 11 games in 36 days, with nine matches packed into the October schedule. It is the same for the other big six teams in the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United facing similarly in the Europa League.
It is sure to be a key time in the season and one that will make or break clubs' campaigns.
October/November schedule:
Saturday, October 1 - Crystal Palace vs Chelsea
Wednesday, October 5 - AC Milan vs Chelsea
Saturday, October 8 - Chelsea vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Tuesday, October 11 - Chelsea vs AC Milan
Sunday, October 16 - Aston Villa vs Chelsea
Thursday, October 20 - Brentford vs Chelsea
Sunday, October 23 - Chelsea vs Manchester United
Tuesday, October 25 - Salzburg vs Chelsea
Saturday, October 29 - Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea
Wednesday, November 2 - Chelsea vs Dinamo Zagreb
Saturday, November 5 - Chelsea vs Arsenal
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