Juventus vs Chelsea: Champions League preview, team news, stats, kick-off time

Team news and stats ahead of Juventus vs Chelsea in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday; kick-off 8pm.

Team news

Juventus striker Alvaro Morata will miss out on a Chelsea reunion.

Morata and team-mate Paulo Dybala will not return from injury until after the October international break, the Italian club said on Monday.

Dybala scored the opening goal in a 3-2 Serie A win over Sampdoria on Sunday before limping off in tears, while Morata also needed to be replaced with an injury.

A note on Juventus's website confirmed Morata had suffered a hamstring injury, while Dybala had picked up a thigh muscle problem.

• Champions League fixtures | Results | Group tables
• Chelsea fixtures

N'Golo Kante will miss Chelsea's Champions League trip after contracting coronavirus.

The France midfielder has started self-isolation and has not travelled to Italy.

Mason Mount (knock), Christian Pulisic (ankle) and Reece James (ankle) are also all still sidelined.

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How to follow

Follow live updates on the Sky Sports website and app from 6.30pm on Wednesday; kick-off 8pm.

You can also follow updates and reaction on Gillette Soccer Special live on Sky Sports News and Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm.

Opposition in focus: Juve struggles without Ronaldo

Juve have made a mixed start to the season after bringing back Massimiliano Allegri as boss to replace Andrea Pirlo and selling Cristiano Ronaldo to United following last term's last-16 Champions League exit and fourth-placed finish in Serie A.

They host Chelsea on Wednesday having begun their Group H games by winning 3-0 at Malmo, while their league campaign to date has consisted of two wins, two draws and two losses.

Forward Moise Kean is also back at the club, returning on loan from Everton to a squad that features the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Juan Cuadrado and Wojciech Szczesny.

"Time will tell but it's not a secret that any team in the world without Cristiano is a weaker team because he's one of the greatest... they lost a big champion, a big personality," Thomas Tuchel said at his pre-match press conference when asked about the impact of Ronaldo's departure.

"But you can win games and become a strong team without Cristiano. They have a lot of experience, a lot of talent, a very experienced coach.

"They are a very proud club that is used to winning. They have a mentality shaped by winning."

Opta stats

• This will be the fifth meeting between Juventus and Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League, with both teams recording one win each in the previous four (D2). Juventus won their most recent meeting in the competition, recording a 3-0 home victory in the group stage in 2012-13.
• Juventus have won 11 of their last 12 UEFA Champions League group stage matches, losing the other 0-2 against Barcelona in October 2020. They've kept seven clean sheets and their last three have all ended 3-0, against Dynamo Kiev, Barcelona and Malmo FF.
• Since the start of last season, Chelsea have only conceded four goals in 14 UEFA Champions League matches (W10 D3 L1), keeping 10 clean sheets and never conceding more than once in a game. All 10 clean sheets have been kept by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy in 13 appearances, the second quickest a goalkeeper has ever reached 10 clean sheets, behind only Keylor Navas (11 games).
• Chelsea have only lost three of their last 32 UEFA Champions League group stage matches (W20 D9), losing none of their last 12 at the group stage (W8 D4). Manager Thomas Tuchel has a 68 per cent win ratio in the group stage (P25 W17 D5 L3), the third-highest of managers to manage 20+ games in the group stage behind Josef Heynckes (73 per cent) and Pep Guardiola (71 per cent).
• Chelsea have lost each of their last four away games against Italian opposition in the UEFA Champions League, with each defeat coming against a different side - Inter in 2009-10, Napoli in 2011-12, Juventus in 2012-13 and Roma in 2017-18.
• Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has kept a clean sheet in both of his home matches against Chelsea in all competitions, both with Arsenal in 2012 and 2013; though, in his other four games against the Blues he conceded 13 goals.
• Romelu Lukaku scored on his UEFA Champions League debut for Chelsea, having also done so for Manchester United, becoming only the second player to score in his first appearance in the competition for two English clubs, after Mario Balotelli for Man City and Liverpool. The only two players to score in their first two Champions League games for Chelsea are Didier Drogba and Michy Batshuayi.

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