The Blues will face PAOK Salonika in Europa League opener
Chelsea had a busy summer as they were looking to bolster their squad after an underwhelming campaign, despite winning the FA Cup back in May. Maurizio Sarri was appointed as the new manager after Antonio Conte was sacked.
The Italian has brought players like Jorginho from Napoli, Kepa from Athletic Bilbao and Mateo Kovacic on a season long loan from Real Madrid during the summer transfer window. The Blues also managed to keep hold of key players like Eden Hazard, Willian and N’Golo Kante, as they were heavily linked with exits.
The London outfit have won all the 5 Premier League fixtures so far this season against Huddersfield, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Cardiff City. They are only 1 of the 2 teams to have 100 percent record and are on top of the table.
They get their Europa League campaign underway on Thursday against PAOK Salonika, with many key players being rested.
David Luiz is one of the players who has stayed back in England as he has started in all the Premier League fixtures so far. However, the Brazilian has revealed two Europa League concerns he has for the club.
He told the Evening Standard: “Many people don’t understand how hard it is to win this competition. The level is great. It’s not going to be easy to play.
“It’s not going to be easy to play on a Thursday.
“It’s not going to be easy because of how far we have to travel but also because of the quality of the teams.
“I know because I have played in the Europa League more than once — I also played in it with Benfica.
“It’s not what everyone says about it [not being a good standard]. It is never easy to win a competition like this.”
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