Champions League team news and prediction: Krasnodar vs Chelsea

After each opening Group E with a draw, Krasnodar and Chelsea will be looking to put their first win on the board in the early kick off between the pair in the Champions League this evening. 

In the build up to Wednesday's clash in Russia, we have all your need-to-know match information in one place, including team news, where you can watch the game and a scoreline prediction.    

When is kick off?       

Wednesday 28th October, 17:55 GMT       

Where is the match?       

Krasnodar Stadium, Krasnodar 

Where can I watch it?       

BT Sport 3 

Gameweek One 

Krasnodar came from behind to draw with Rennes in France last week, a commendable result on the face of things. Cristian Ramirez netted the equaliser, three minutes after the Russian side had gone down to a Serhou Guirassy's penalty, and they'll look to build on that stalemate against Chelsea. However, they had goalkeeper Matvey Safonov to thank for the positive result after the youngster put in a man of the match display. 

Chelsea, too, played out a draw, as they were held by Sevilla at Stamford Bridge. It was the first 0-0 draw the Blues have managed since Frank Lampard was named head coach last year and after a goalshy showing in west London, where they mustered just six shots, Lampard will demand an attacking improvement in Russia. 

Team News 

Krasnodar have a raft of injury concerns ahead of this evening's welcome of Chelsea. Key wide pair Wanderson and Remy Cabella are ruled out and the duo are joined Viktor Claesson, Dmitriy Stotskiy and Sergey Petrov on the sidelines. The latter's absence could see Igor Smolnikov drop into right-back. Head coach Murad Musayev is sweating on the fitness of trio Ari, Marcus Berg and Kristoffer Olsson, and the latter duo in particular will be given every opportunity to prove their fitness. 

For Chelsea, Frank Lampard has few injury concerns on his hands, but is without Kepa and Billy Gilmour. Despite summer signings Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy forming a solid partnership at the back, the former has been left in London as the games come thick and fast, while Marcos Alonso is suspended. Lampard and Antonio Rudiger have held clear-the-air talks and, as a result, the German may make his first Blues appearance of the season alongside Kurt Zouma in Silva's absence. 

Probable XIs 

Krasnodar (4411) - Safonov; Smolnikov, Sorokin, Kaio, Chernov; Suleymanov, Vilhena, Gazinskiy, Ramirez; Urkin; Markov

Chelsea (4231) - Mendy; James, Zouma, Rudiger, Chilwell; Kante, Jorginho; Pulisic, Havertz, Mount; Werner

Key Battle - Matvey Safonov vs Edouard Mendy

Matvey Safonov enjoyed a fine Champions League debut, with his man of the match display enough to secure a place in the opening team of the week of the season. There are high hopes for the 21-year-old and he'll be looking to follow up his star man showing against Rennes with another solid rearguard performance to keep Chelsea at bay.

Given Krasnodar's raft of absences, Edouard Mendy is unlikely to be tested as regularly as opposite number Sofanov in Russia, but the Blues backline has been far better with the Senegal international between the sticks. The former Rennes man has kept a clean sheet in each of his last three outings for the Blues, though that coincided with Thiago Silva featuring from the off at the heart of the defence, and it'll be interesting to see how Mendy, and Chelsea, perform without the Brazilian in the side.

Prediction: Krasnodar 1-2 Chelsea