Confirmed: Double injury blow for Chelsea ahead of Red Bull Salzburg Champions League game

New Chelsea manager Graham Potter will be without the dependable N’Golo Kante and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for the Champions League game tonight.

The Blues are hoping to get back on track after the defeat to Dinamo Zagreb- which coincided with the sacking of German manager Thomas Tuchel last week.

The new reign will begin for Graham Potter under the lights at Stamford Bridge with some of the club’s fans still bruised from the sudden sacking of Tuchel, a manager who connected with them properly and led to European glory.

But football is a game of results, and if Potter can get them the wins, married with the brand of football that made his Brighton and Hove Albion side a delight to watch, then it won’t be long before he gets his own song and tifo.

There is normally a new manager bounce when teams bring in new coaches so Chelsea are outright favourites to beat the Austrian champions in west London.

They will however have to do it without N’Golo Kante who suffered a hamstring injury in the game against Tottenham earlier in the season and hasn’t returned to training since.

He is not expected back until after the upcoming international break, also missing will be goalkeeper Edoaurd Mendy, the Senegal international missed the Zagreb game due a knee injury and has not trained.

Apart from the two- the Blues will have a full squad and are expected to dominate the game even though there will be a few fans in the stands who will be keen to show their support for the departed Thomas Tuchel.

Graham Potter himself will be making his Champions League debut having admitted that his experience in the competition is the same as a fan.

He told reporters ahead of the game: “My experiences in the Champions League are just at supporter level”.

The Salzburg game will be Chelsea’s last before the September international break after their weekend Premier League clash with Liverpool was postponed due to lack logistics.