Chelsea 's new era under Graham Potter is taking longer than expected to get under way.
Due to the death and substance state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II, the Blues have been out of action since Thomas Tuchel 's final game in charge, a dismal 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. At least Chelsea can finally get their European campaign up and running when Red Bull Salzburg come to town on Wednesday for Potter's first game as manager.
The Blues boss has already outlined his plans in the hope of building a dynasty in west London, having been appointed by Todd Boehly for both the present and future. For now, though, he'll need to navigate a tricky period in which the club finds itself in a state of flux both on and off the pitch.
Here's a round-up of the latest news from Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool clash off
Chelsea won't host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, as the Premier League fixture has been postponed as a result the Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. The decision was made due to the match being a category A fixture for the local police force, who're strained due to the period of national mourning.
Graham Potter was set to get his first taste of action last weekend at Fulham, but that game was also called off due to the late Queen's passing as a mark of respect from the Premier League, meaning the clash with Red Bull Salzburg will be both his Stamford Bridge and Champions League bow. Now the Blues will next be in domestic action on Saturday, October 1 away to Crystal Palace.
Potter says out three targets
Hold your horses on the tactics because Graham Potter has other priorities at Stamford Bridge. In his first interview with Chelsea's in-house media team, the Blues boss revealed that wants to nurture relationships, respect and trust in west London. "I try to find some common ground, try to build relationships, to try to communicate effectively on a daily basis and build respect, trust and honesty, so my starting point would always be the person first," Potter explained.
"I think that you have to understand that they're [players are] human beings first, and the key thing is to try to understand them, understand what motivates them and understand what they're like as people."
Get involved! Will Potter be a success at Chelsea? Give us your prediction in the comment section.
Costa return confirmed
Diego Costa is back in the Premier League after signing a one-year contract with Wolves. The ex-Chelsea striker left British shores in 2017 to return to Atletico Madrid for an injury-ridden three-year spell. Costa has been a free agent since leaving Atletico Mineiro last December but has been snapped up by Bruno Lage and co to help ease their injury crisis in the forward department.
Having scored 59 goals in 120 games for Chelsea over three seasons, the Brazil-born Spain international told Wolves ' website: "When he [Lage] told me about returning to the Premier League since this a championship I have related to quite a bit, always liked it and followed. No matter how much I enjoyed playing in Madrid, I felt discouraged, but this motivated me. It lit that fire within me."
