Chelsea vs Salzburg LIVE: Potter takes charge of first game as fixture confirmed

The fixture will go ahead as planned despite other postponements after discussions with UEFA and the Metropolitan Police following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel who was sacked after losing to Dinamo Zagreb in the club's opening game of the Champions League group stage last week.

Tuchel's dismissal came as a shock to many but the appointment of his successor did not with Potter's Brighton fourth in the Premier League and his tactical approach a much-wanted asset.

His first ever Champions League game comes against a Salzburg team who are top of the Austrian Bundesliga and drew 1-1 at home to AC Milan last week.

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Chelsea vs Salzburg: talkSPORT coverage

The Champions League tie will take place on Wednesday, September 14.

Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is at 8pm.

talkSPORT's coverage will start at 7pm with Adrian Durham while commentary will come from Ian Danter and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.

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To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

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Chelsea vs Salzburg: Team news

Chelsea will be without midfielder N'Golo Kante and his hamstring injury may keep him absent until after the international break.

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Ben Chilwell started against Zagreb last week and will compete for the left-back spot with Marc Cucurella who was signed from Brighton where he played under new Blues boss Potter.

Salzburg have a long injury list which leaves them with limited defensive options.

Strahinja Pavlovic is their only fit centre-back with Maximilian Wober, Oumar Solet and Kamil Piatkowski out.

Young striker Benajmin Sesko has a knock but is expected to be a part of the squad on Wednesday.

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Chelsea vs Salzburg: What has been said?

New Chelsea manager Potter on his approach: "I want a tactically flexible, attacking, possession-based team.

"Players that are brave, that aren't afraid to make mistakes. That can get on the ball and show courage and really try to enjoy their football.

"If the players are enjoying their football, there's a chance that the supporters will enjoy it as well. That's how you grow and develop as a club.

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"In my position, you cannot use time as an excuse. You can talk philosophy, identity, all these nice words, but you have to think in the short term as well.

"We are in a results game and you to try and do your best to win."

Chelsea vs Salzburg: Match facts

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Chelsea failed to score in their defeat against Dinamo Zagreb on MD1, while the Blues haven't failed to find the net in consecutive UEFA Champions League games within the same campaign since March/April 2011 under Carlo Ancelotti - 0-0 v FC København and 0-1 v Manchester United.

RB Salzburg have lost each of their last three away games in the UEFA Champions League; their longest losing streak of this type in the competition, and just one fewer defeat than they suffered in their first 10 away games in the competition (W3 D3 L4).

Chelsea have only lost one of their last 20 home games in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (W13 D6), with that lone defeat coming against Valencia under Frank Lampard in September 2019. The Blues are unbeaten in their last eight (W5 D3), with the last two both ending 4-0 - v Malmö FF and Juventus last term.

Chelsea were beaten by Dinamo Zagreb in their opening game of this UEFA Champions League campaign, while they have never previously lost their opening two games in an edition of the tournament. The last time they lost consecutive games in the competition was in 2019-20, losing both legs against Bayern Munich in the Last 16.

RB Salzburg have never beaten an English side in European competition in six attempts (D1 L5). Since drawing against Blackburn in the UEFA Cup back in September 2006, they have lost all five of their meetings with English opposition.

This will be the first meeting between Chelsea and RB Salzburg - the Blues have only lost one of their previous four games against Austrian sides in European competition (W1 D2), although the most recent of those matches came against FK Austria Wien in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.

Noah Okafor has scored four goals in his last five UEFA Champions League appearances, including one versus AC Milan last time out. The only player to score more times than Okafor (4) for RB Salzburg in the competition is Erling Haaland (8).

If he plays in this game, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang could become the oldest player to score in his first home appearance for Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League (33y 88d), with the current oldest being Michael Ballack in September 2006 (29y 351d v Werder Bremen).

Among teams who have been involved in the last two campaigns, only Bayern Munich (13.1) have averaged more high turnovers per game than Chelsea (13) in the UEFA Champions League. However, the Blues have only converted one of their 143 high turnovers into a goal, which is five fewer than the team with the most goals scored in this fashion in this period (6, Ajax).

RB Salzburg's starting XI last time out had an average age of 23 years and 30 days; the youngest of any team on MD1 in this season's UEFA Champions League. Indeed, the Austrian side only had one player over the age of 24 within their starting XI - Andreas Ulmer (36y 311d v AC Milan).