When Chelsea fans welcome out their team at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, a number of them may well save some of their applause for one of the opposition.
Crystal Palace supporters gave an ovation to former loanee Conor Gallagher before he scored the Blues' winner against them at the weekend, and some of the Chelsea faithful will have similar love for Olivier Giroud. The French international left west London in 2021, after staying on the bench for the Champions League final victory over Manchester City, but will return as an AC Milan player for Wednesday's Group E clash.
Despite turning 36 in September, the striker is continuing to find the back of the net at the highest level. After becoming France's oldest-ever scorer, Giroud turns his attention back to European club football, even if a goal to prolong his former club's slow start might be bittersweet.
