Chelsea return to Champions League action against Borussia Dortmund as Graham Potter coaches his first knockout match in Europe's elite competition. The Blues boss has been unbeaten in the tournament during his Chelsea tenure with two wins over AC Milan and one each against Dinamo Zagreb and RB Salzburg, with the only blemish coming in his first game in charge when the west London side were held by the latter.
Potter's side fly out to Germany on Tuesday looking to find some momentum with a win having drawn their last three matches. Potter will have a number of decisions to make in his team selection as a number of player return from injury, while he is down players such as Benoit Badiashile Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana.
One new signing who is available however is Enzo Fernandez and the record-signing has quickly made himself vital to Chelsea's side. The World Cup-winner produced a pristine assist for Joao Felix against West Ham to back up his impressive debut against Fulham at Stamford Bridge to begin repaying his £106.7million fee.
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That figure, his selection in the Champions League squad and the quality exhibited so far has already placed him as Chelsea's central midfield figure. Who will start alongside him against the Bundesliga side remains to be seen however.
Already Fernandez has seen different partners in his time at the club. First he combined with Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher, before more recently working alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek. With Denis Zakaria and Mateo Kovacic on their way back from injury too, competition will be rife to feature in the centre of the pitch.
This is a competition that goes beyond simply facing Dortmund however. Fernandez is a signing to take Chelsea forward but at the moment Chelsea's squad is bloated and is due to undergo more transformation in the summer.
That is particularly pertinent for Chelsea's midfield. Denis Zakaria is due to see his loan end in the summer, though Chelsea have an option to make the deal permanent, while the likes of Mount, Loftus-Cheek and Kovacic all have contracts that will end in 2024 and thus the summer offers the last genuine chance for the Blues to earn a fee if a contract extension is no agreed. Even Conor Gallagher has been much linked to a departure from Stamford Bridge.
The clash against Dortmund provides another opportunity to assess a partner for Fernandez and against Europe's elite. Jude Bellingham has been closely linked to Liverpool and Real Madrid and has long been of interest for the Blues, though their struggle for Champions League football next season could dampen any attempt.
Battling against top-quality opposition will be the perfect chance for Potter's candidates to impress for the next game and the future.
Pick your team to face Dortmund below
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