Basel don't have any early concerns, and will line up with several talented youngsters the Blues will have to keen an eye on. They may have lost Austrian defender Aleksandar Dragović this summer, though young Swiss international Fabian Schär has stepped into the breach excellently. Lively Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah could also prove to be a handful down the right for Ashley Cole.
We're not yet into double figures in terms of matches this season, but not many people would have been predicting in early August that Chelsea's opening fixture in the Champions League would have a must-win feel about it.
But that's where we stand at the moment, with Jose Mourinho's side without victory in their previous three outings—drawing with Manchester United and Bayern Munich (who won the Super Cup on penalties) and losing 1-0 to Everton at the weekend.
It's far from a crisis, but in an age where managers and teams are often put firmly under the microscope after a few indifferent results, facing Basel at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday is a game Mourinho and his players cannot afford to lose—or draw for that matter.
Victory will set them on their way in the Champions League, restoring some confidence. But anything less than three points will see the sound of alarm bells begin chiming ever louder in West London.
Chelsea: Petr Čech; Ashley Cole, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanović; John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard; Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Oscar; Fernando Torres
Basel: Yann Sommer; Behrang Safari, Fabian Schär, Ivan Ivanov, Philipp Degen; Stephan Andrist, Fabian Frei, Mohamed Elneny, Mohamed Salah; Valentin Stocker; Marco Streller
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 7:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, England
Kick-off: 7.45 p.m. (GMT), 2.45 p.m. (EST), 11.45 a.m. (PST)
