Ajax vs Chelsea LIVE: Line ups and team news confirmed, Champions League fixtures

AJAX vs CHELSEA

• Chelsea are unbeaten in four previous European games with Dutch sides

• Tammy Abraham became Chelsea’s first English scorer in the Champions League since Gary Cahill in November 2015

• Ajax have not won three consecutive Champions League matches since 2005

• Quincy Promes is looking to become the first player to score in his first three Champions League appearances for Ajax

Ajax XI: Onana, Dest, Veltman, Blind, Tagliafico, Martínez, Edson Álvarez, Ziyech, Van der Beek, Promes; Tadic

Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Alonso; Kovacic, Jorginho, Mount; Willian, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi.

Twitter round-up

Omg: Happy to see from three of Willian, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham. Was expecting Reece James and Emerson in the full-back positions. Come on Chelsea!

Martin: Don’t get me wrong, this season’s Chelsea team is full of promise and we will surprise a lot of people. However Ajax are probably going to give us a schooling tonight!

Simon: Frank Lampard is clearly playing the favouritism game with Mason Mount! Why should these boys feel untouchable? I was expecting Olivier Giroud or Michy Batshuayi start today.

That’s the spirit, Martin…

‘You look scared’

17:10: Well wasn’t this a laugh out loud moment. I refuse to abbreviate that to LOL for humanitarian reasons.

In yesterday’s press conference, a Dutch journalist asked why Frank Lampard looked scared and intimidated by Ajax.

However, the Chelsea legend brushed that comment off with a cheeky remark of his own claiming that “is just my face”.

I often give that response when people ask why I’m scowling all the time…

Team news – Chelsea

17:05: Mateo Kovacic returns to the Chelsea starting line-up for the Group H clash with Ajax in Amsterdam.

The Croatia midfielder is handed a first start since the 2-1 defeat by Liverpool last month in the absence of injured duo Ross Barkley and N’Golo Kante.

Boss Frank Lampard keeps faith with youngsters Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi against last season’s semi-finalists.

Couldn’t tell you the Ajax changes I’m afraid – but it looks one hell of a starting XI. Hope that will suffice…

Group H…

17:00: I certainly though Group H would be the most competitive and entertaining when the draw was made a few months ago.

Ajax, Valencia, Chelsea and Lille are known to be attacking, creating and dare I say a little gung ho in their styles.

It’s shaping up nicely too. Ajax lead the way with maximum points from their opening two fixtures. A win tonight and you have to think everyone else is playing for second position.

Chelsea and Valencia are tied on three points each while Nicolas Pepe-less Lille are yet to get off the mark.

The maths

16:50: The maths doesn’t add up.

Ajax lost £185million of players over the summer with key dup Frenkie De Jong and Matthias De Light leaving the club and they reinvested just £50m.

So far this season they are unbeaten in 16 and creating more chances than ever. What the heck are they doing over there in Holland?!

The sides

16:45: Fair play, both sides have been very prompt announcing their starting XI’s. That’s a dream for a live blogger like myself.

Ajax XI: Onana, Dest, Veltman, Blind, Tagliafico, Martínez, Edson Alvarez, Ziyech, Van der Beek, Promes; Tadic

Subs: Varela, Schuurs, Neres, Huntelaar, Mazraoui, De Jong, Marin

Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Alonso; Kovacic, Jorginho, Mount; Willian, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi

Subs: Caballero, James, Emerson, Gilmour, Pulisic, Giroud, Batshuayi

What’s on?

16:35: Eight fixtures are on offer this evening as we reach the halfway point of the Champions League group stages.

Obviously Chelsea’s trip to Ajax is an early kick off, as is RB Leipzig’s cash with Zenit. I’m feeling something of a goal frenzy in these.

Benfica vs Lyon, Genk vs Liverpool, Inter Milan vs Borussia Dortmund, Lille vs Valencia, RB Salzburg vs Napoli and Slavia Prague vs Barcelona are the remaining six evening games.

Afternoon

16:30: Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Champions League.

What an absolute treat we have in store today as one of the most exciting, youthful and homegrown sides in Europe take on Ajax…

Been a while since we’ve been able to say that, eh?

Frank Lampard has received plenty of plaudits for the way he has blooded Chelsea’s youngsters this season – but Ajax are kinda the masters of youth development.

Should be a very interesting match indeed. Standby for team news and line ups.

AJAX vs CHELSEA

Chelsea will be without Ross Barkley, N’Golo Kante, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger for their Champions League game at Ajax on Wednesday.

Barkley suffered an ankle injury in Saturday’s win over Newcastle and the England international was substituted shortly before half-time.

Kante sustained a groin injury while on international duty with France, but was still included on the bench for the second game of a double-header, much to the annoyance of Blues manager Frank Lampard.