Graham Potter faces a baptism of fire in his debut game as Chelsea’s manager. To get the Blues out of a sluggish start in Group E, a manager who has never experienced the in-game awe of the Champions League anthem, let alone coached in one, will be challenged with doing so.
Although Potter’s career may not be dependent on Champions League victory, it is tough to ignore the historical tradition of European success determining the tenure of a Chelsea manager.
The new manager didn’t have much time for testing and fine-tuning after the Premier League match with Fulham was postponed last Saturday. Will Potter change things up or stay with his 3-4-3 versus Red Bull Salzburg? Will Potter’s perspective change if this weekend’s match between Chelsea and Liverpool is postponed? Is Marc Cucurella, who played for Brighton under Potter, a lock to win?
The starting XI in Zagreb should have several differences from Potter’s starting XI, according to fans. Although a 3-4-3 configuration is still preferred, Christian Pulisic replaces Kai Havertz in the front trio, and Denis Zakaria makes his midfield debut in place of Mason Mount.
In the meantime, Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta are both removed from Chelsea’s back three to make room for Thiago Silva’s comeback and Currella’s selection as the left center-back.
While Reece James and Ben Chilwell are the unstoppable Chelsea wingsmen, Kepa maintains the gloves in other areas. It will be interesting to see what Potter can get out of Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but following a patchily ineffective performance against Dinamo Zagreb, a strong showing against RB Salzburg is exactly what Potter needs to jumpstart his new era.