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Football London
Football London
Sport
Bobby Vincent

Champions League draw: Chelsea face nightmare scenario with group stage fixtures confirmed

Chelsea's UEFA Champions League group has now been confirmed. The Blues will take on AC Milan, FC Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb, in a bid to try and reach the Round of 16 of the European competition.

Last season, Chelsea were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by eventual winners Real Madrid. Thomas Tuchel won the competition in his first season with the club and will be looking to add another crown to his collection this time around.

However, with the unique schedule this season, because of the FIFA World Cup being played in the winter rather than the summer, it means the fixture list is a lot more condensed. In the space of around 70 days (from September until November), Chelsea will play around 18 times. This means there will be a game for the Blues around every four days in the lead-up to the World Cup in Qatar.

READ MORE: UEFA Champions League draw confirms harsh Chelsea Premier League test for Thomas Tuchel

That nightmare scenario for Chelsea will include fixtures against AC Milan, Salzburg and. Chelsea face a rare trip to take on Milan, who of course have former Blues stars Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud on their books now.

After winning Serie A last season ahead of their city rivals, Inter, Milan will now be hoping for a strong run in the competition they have won seven times.

Chelsea will also take on a club less experienced in the tournament, Salzburg. The Austrian side have some really talented players, including Benjamin Sesko and Noah Okafor. The Blues also face home and away matches against Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia.

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