The new Premier League season has just started and Chelsea are already dealing with fixture congestion. With winning a European crown comes a bunch of extra matches in foreign lands. Chelsea will make up for one of those matches in advance on Wednesday, when they take on Reading at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea Vs. Reading: What’s Up, Fixture Congestion?
Chelsea and Reading play a mid-week Premier League match to make up for the European Super Cup, which will cause the Blues to miss a fixture date.
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Ramires sat out of Chelsea's 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic at the weekend with an illness but is expected to return to his team's starting XI against Reading. Roberto Di Matteo could opt for some squad rotation in other places, so don't be stunned if Oscar, Raul Meireles or Gary Cahill gets a start in order to keep everyone fresh. The Blues face a tough test on the weekend in Newcastle United, and Di Matteo probably won't want to play all of his stars three times in seven days so early in the season.
Reading are without Jem Karacan, who is injured, and Jason Roberts, who is suspended. Jimmy Kebe is questionable with a hamstring injury. The Royals got off to a solid start to the season with a 1-1 draw against Stoke, but might consider playing for a draw and making some changes against Chelsea. Don't be surprised if one of Pavel Pogrebnyak or Adam Le Fondre is dropped for a midfielder.
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, England
TV: ESPN2 (U.S.), Sportsnet World (Canada)
Online: ESPN3
For more on the Blues, head over to Chelsea FC blog We Ain’t Got No History. For more on the Royals, check out Reading FC blog The Tilehurst End.
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