Chelsea will look to halt Eintracht Frankfurt’s impressive run in the UEFA Europa League when the two sides go head to head at the Commerzbank Arena tonight.
The Blues are winless in their last three Premier League matches but have done well so far in Europe. As for Eintracht, they have been one of the most impressive teams in the competition thus far, making this an evenly contested fixture.
Here are three Chelsea players who could play a key role this week.
Andreas Christensen
Andreas Christensen will deputise for the injured Antonio Rudiger this week after the German international suffered yet another knee injury that will likely rule him out for the rest of the season.
The young Dane will operate alongside David Luiz at the heart of Chelsea’s four-man backline. He will face a stern test against a dangerous Eintracht attack that has already impressed the onlookers of the Europa League this season.
Ante Rebic, in particular, will provide a serious threat for the Chelsea backline and the onus will be on Christensen to prevent the Serbian international from making an impact on proceedings.
N’Golo Kante
Frankfurt are a side known for their dynamic pressing and aggression in midfield, which makes N’Golo Kante an important component in this fixture.
The Frenchman has struggled to influence the game when deployed in an advanced role. And it will be interesting to see how he copes with Frankfurt’s high-octane pressing, which will surely restrict him with time and space on the ball, thus making it difficult for him to circulate possession.
Additionally, Kante will look to neutralize any counter-attacking opportunities for the opposition in midfield. He is certainly one of the players worth looking forward to, tonight.
Eden Hazard
Eintracht Frankfurt will be boosted by the return of Evan N’Dicka, who missed the second leg against Benfica due to suspension. However, the young defender will be dealt with a stern test of keeping Eden Hazard at bay.
The Chelsea superstar hasn’t scored in the last five matches in all competitions and is yet to score a single goal in the Europa League so far.
Therefore, he will be keen to find the back of the net against his opponents in a few hours. And it is probably fair to mention that Hazard’s performance against the likes of N’Dicka and David Abraham could go long way in deciding Chelsea’s fate in this enticing encounter as both teams look to gain an advantage in the first-leg.