Reece James will be leading his Chelsea side out for arguably their biggest game of the season tonight against Barcelona in the Champions League.
The Blues are looking to close the gap on the top eight in the groups, and will be buoyed by some injury news going into the game.
Pedri will miss the match at Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea are set to welcome Moises Caicedo back into the starting side after he was handed a rare rest against Burnley.
Will Chelsea beat Barcelona in the Champions League?
There will be a return to West London for former Blue Andreas Christensen, who left the club in 2022 at the same time as former defender Antonio Rudiger.
Andreas Christensen playing for Barcelona against Real Sociedad in La Liga.
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Reece James welcomes Andreas Christensen back to Stamford Bridge
The Denmark international has not faced Chelsea since he left, and given the fact he has been a regular in the side for Barcelona this season there is a strong chance he will feature.
James was a teammate of Christensen’s, with both coming through the academy, and he has sent him a warm message before he makes his return to Stamford Bridge.
He said in Chelsea’s programme notes: “We welcome back Andreas Christensen to Stamford Bridge. He achieved a lot here, including winning this competition in 2021, after joining our Academy… It’ll be good to see him back again, but he’s on the other side tonight and we have a job to do.”
James and Christensen are likely to be the only Cobham graduates who feature, with Levi Colwill remaining sidelined due to a long-term knee problem.
Chelsea FC v Malmo FF: Group H - UEFA Champions League
Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
Christensen’s could be a transfer target for Chelsea
After making his way through the academy, Christensen became a regular in the starting side for a number of seasons.
Chelsea’s last five results vs Barcelona
Barcelona 3-0 Chelsea – 14/3/18
Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona – 20/2/18
Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea – 24/4/12
Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona – 18/4/12
Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona – 6/5/09
It is clear that he still has an admiration for the club. Christensen was spotted watching Chelsea vs Liverpool while Barcelona travelled to an away game.
It has been reported that Christensen could emerge as a transfer target for the Blues due to the fact that his contract expires at the end of the season.
The defender’s brilliance on the ball makes him perfect for Enzo Maresca, and he would bring the experience required for a young Chelsea side at this moment.