/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68479378/1290141410.5.jpg)
Welcome to Rotation Day and Academy Day! With no competitive considerations on the line today — both Chelsea and Krasnodar are locked into their positions in the group, first and third, respectively — it’s all about giving minutes to those who haven’t had many recently, plus give the (new) youth a chance.
Accordingly, Lampard has fully rotated his starting XI and is giving starts to teenagers Billy Gilmour and Tino Anjorin — for the latter it’s his first senior start for the club! Kepa’s back, too; alas, no Tomori. For Krasnodar, it looks like a fairly strong lineup.
Here we go.
Chelsea starting lineup (4-3-3):
Arrizabalaga | Emerson, Rüdiger, Christensen, Azpilicueta (c) | Kovačić, Jorginho, Gilmour | Anjorin, Abraham, Havertz
Substitutes from: Caballero, Žiger, Tomori, Zouma, Alonso, Chilwell, James, Kanté, Mount, Pulisic, Werner, Giroud
Krasnodar starting lineup (4-3-3):
Gorodov | Ramírez, Kaio, Martynovich (c), Smolnikov | Vilhena, Cabella, Olsson | Claesson, Berg, Wanderson
Substitutes from: Sinitsin, Sorokin, Chernov, Markov, Utkin, Chernikov, Kambolov, Suleymanov, S.Petrov
Date / Time: Tuesday, December 8, 2020, 20.00 GMT; 3pm EST; 1:30am IST (next day)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Pavel Královec (on pitch); Paolo Valeri (VAR)
On TV: BT Sport 3 (UK); none (USA); Sony Six (India); SuperSport LaLiga, Canal+ Sport 2 (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: BT Sport Live (UK); CBS All Access, TUDNxtra (USA); Sony LIV (India); DStv Now (NGA) — if you’re in the US and you don’t want to subscribe to CBS’s streaming service because you’re not over 60 and/or don’t like Star Trek, you can also watch through Fubo TV, for which we have an affiliate link. CBS do offer a free trial for All Access, and they will be carrying the Champions League for the next several years, so you might as well get used to their lack of actual television coverage. Granted, this game pales in comparison to some of the other stuff going on, especially RB Leipzig vs. Manchester United, but other counties can do it just fine and it’s not like CBS are hurting for channels — none of which will be showing any of the games. Grin and bear it.
LIVE BLOG
Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.