Mauricio Pochettino takes charge of Chelsea for the first time tonight with a pre-season friendy against Wrexham.
The newly-promoted League Two club are embarking on an ambitious pre-season tour among the big boys and find themselves as the opponents in a landmark moment for Chelsea.
Pochettino has had a fortnight on the training pitch to whip his new squad into shape after the Blues laboured to a extremely mediocre finish last season.
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Much-needed fresh blood comes not just in the dugout but on the pitch as well, with Levi Colwill and Christopher Nkunku among the exciting new faces set to play.
This friendly in North Carolina between west London’s Chelsea and north Wales’ Wrexham is officially part of the 2023 Florida Cup series.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Chelsea vs Wrexham is scheduled for a 1am BST kick-off on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
The match will take place at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Where to watch Chelsea vs Wrexham
TV channel and live stream: In the UK, the game will be broadcast live and for free on the official Chelsea website and app.
It is also being shown on television on Viaplay Sports 1 with a subscription.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Nizaar Kinsella at the ground.
Chelsea vs Wrexham team news
Pochettino is without Reece James and Wesley Fofana due to knee injuries accrued in pre-season training, with the Frenchman set to miss several months after surgery.
Armando Broja and Benoit Badiashile also miss out as they continue their recovery from last season’s issues while unwanted reserves Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Romelu Lukaku have all been left at home.
There should be pre-season debuts for new signings Malo Gusto, Andrey Santos, Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson.
Chelsea vs Wrexham prediction
The Blues should find the League Two team a fairly comfortable opponent for their first outing under Pochettino.
Chelsea to win, 4-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
The two teams have not met competitively since 1982.
Chelsea wins: 4
Draws: 3
Wrexham wins: 2
