Here is your Chelsea morning digest for Saturday, October 10
Chelsea Supporters Trust responds to pay-per-view news with strong statement
The Premier League’s announcement about pay-per-view football has gone down badly with fans from a number of clubs, with the Chelsea Supporters Trust condemning the move as “totally unacceptable”.
Matches not selected for television will be able to watch for £14.95 on pay-per-view platforms, with money raised helping top-flight clubs deal with the loss of matchday revenue.
Two Chelsea matches will air on BT Sport Box Office in October - the meetings with Southampton and Burnley - meaning it will cost fans just shy of £30 to watch both.
The supporters trust has made its feelings known, explaining on Twitter that "We have contacted the club to voice our discontent with this announcement”.
"Being asked to pay £15 to watch each ‘non-televised’ match, in addition to Sky and BT subscriptions, is completely unacceptable," the trust’s statement continued.
Trust chair Cliff Auger told football.london: “The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust are extremely disappointed with the decision to implement yet another charge on football fans, especially during a period of so much financial uncertainty for many families.
"We will be speaking with the club about this decision to urge them and the Premier League to explore alternative options for supporters being able to watch these matches," Auger continued.
The selection headaches facing Frank Lampard
When Chelsea return to Premier League action, they will do so with the aim of building on last week’s victory over Crystal Palace and breaking back into the top four.
The Blues moved onto seven points before the international break with a 4-0 win over their fellow Londoners, and have another home game next up as Southampton come to Stamford Bridge on October 17.
When Frank Lampard welcomes his players back from international duty, he will have a number of big decisions to make, not least at right-back and on the right wing.
football.london has assessed four key decisions facing the Chelsea manager as his team enters a run of four league games between now and the next break, as well as facing Champions League group matches against Sevilla, Krasnodar and Rennes.
Young Chelsea keeper Baxter gets loan move
The arrival of Edouard Mendy from Rennes left Chelsea with a glut of goalkeepers, so it should come as no surprise to see one of them leave on loan.
That man is Nathan Baxter, who sat on the bench for the Blues’ recent Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley.
Baxter, 21, spent last season with Ross County and made 13 appearances in the Scottish Premiership and one more in the cup.
The previous season, he had been a near ever-present for Yeovil Town, winning the club’s Player of the season award.
This year, though, the youngster will be spending a season in League One after agreeing a loan move to Accrington Stanley.
He is the third Chelsea player to move on loan to the Crown Ground for the 2020/21 campaign, following Tariq Uwakwe and Jon Russell.
