An opening defeat in the competition last week against Dinamo Zagreb was the last time the Blues played and the last match of Thomas Tuchel’s time at the club, as he was sacked the following morning.
Since then Premier League football has been postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, meaning Chelsea did not make the short trip to face Fulham over the weekend.
While the Chelsea ownership see Potter as a long-term appointment, there are immediate issues for him to address and he’ll know that the club cannot really afford to start Group E with consecutive defeats.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Chelsea vs RB Salzburg is scheduled for an 8pm BST kick-off on Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
Stamford Bridge will host the match.
Where to watch Chelsea vs RB Salzburg
TV channel: The match will be televised on BT Sport 3, with coverage starting at 7.15pm.
Live stream: BT Sport subscribers will be able to watch the match online via the BT Sport website or app.
Live blog: You can follow all the action via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Chelsea vs RB Salzburg team news
Potter has a decision to make in goal, with Kepa Arrizabalaga starting in Zagreb after Tuchel revealed Edouard Mendy had a slight injury problem. How the new boss uses his goalkeepers remains to be seen.
Former Brighton man Marc Cucurella will surely get the nod over Ben Chilwell, while N’Golo Kante remains out with injury.
Graham Potter is once again working with former Brighton defender Marc Cucurella
/ Getty ImagesPierre-Emerick Aubameyang was a long way from his best on his debut but needs time to build his fitness back up, while the likes of Christian Pulisic, Armando Broja and Hakim Ziyech will be hoping a new managers gives them more minutes on the pitch.
Noah Okafor has scored in five matches in a row for Salzburg, including in their opening draw with AC Milan, and he will likely once again be the main threat for the visitors.
Chelsea vs RB Salzburg prediction
That postponement to Chelsea’s match against Fulham means Potter’s first match in charge of the club comes on home soil and he will keen to make an immediate impression.
Goals have been a problem for the Blues, their front-line not clicking into gear and that is one of the big challenges facing the new boss.
Salzburg carry a real attacking threat themselves and will fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet, but Chelsea should have enough to come out on top and get their European campaign back on track.
Chelsea to win, 2-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
This will be the first competitive match between the two sides.
