Chelsea begin their European campaign on Thursday with a UEFA Conference League play-off against Servette.

This is the first leg of the play-off round and manager Enzo Maresca will be aiming for a clear victory after a disappointing start to the Premier League season on Sunday, which saw the Blues lose 2-0 to Manchester City.

Chelsea are clear favourites and go into next week’s second leg in Geneva with a lead. A win will see them advance to the new 36-team group stage, where each team will face six different opponents, with the top eight teams automatically qualifying for the round of 16.

The sports news looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch, kick-off times and the latest lineup news.

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Chelsea vs Servette Live stream, TV channel

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This match will not be available for live television, but Paramount+ will provide exclusive live and on-demand access to UEFA competition matches for fans residing in the United States, including the Champions League, Conference League and Europa League.

Paramount+ plans start at $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year and go up to $12.99 per month or $119.99 per year.

If the game isn’t available to watch live in your location or you’re traveling abroad, you can use a virtual private network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure and private online connection that lets you bypass geo-restrictions and access your favorite streaming services from any device, anywhere in the world.

WATCH FROM ANYWHERE: Sign up for NordVPN (30-day money-back guarantee)

What time does the Chelsea vs Servette game take place? start?

This UEFA Europa Conference League encounter takes place at Stamford Bridge in London, England and kicks off at 20:00 local time (BST) on Thursday 22 August.

This is how this time is translated into the North American time zones:

Chelsea vs Servette Lineups, team news

Chelsea are expected to make several changes compared to the lineup that lost to Manchester City. Reece James probably out due to a thigh injury. Marc Cucurella could be a bit of a concern after being substituted in the final minutes of the defeat to Manchester City due to possible knee problems.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca has also left Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana And Ben Chilwell from his squad for the match against Servette in the Europa Conference League play-off, as the former is looking for clarity over his future at the club after being unexpectedly left out of the squad for the opening game of the season.

Philipp Jorgensen, Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo And Kiernan Dewsbury Hall are in line for potential debuts, while young talents like Georges Tyrique will be keen to be there.

Cole Palmer, who made 25 appearances for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the 2023/24 season, scoring 19 goals, including five in nine cup games.

Possible Chelsea starting eleven (4-2-3-1, from right to left): Jorgensen (TW) – Gusto, Badiashile, Veiga, Cucurella – Fernandez, Lavia – Palmer, Dewsbury-Hall, Neto – Guiu.

Injuries: James (thigh), Cucurella (thigh), Chilwell (disease), Fofana (unknown)

Suspensions: N/A

Visitors will be without the services of Victory Beniangbabut Servette should be able to cope well with the absence of the Nigerian striker. In the summer they strengthened their attack with the signing of Julian Von Moos, Sofyane Bouzamoucha And Usman Simbakol as free agents.

Chelsea fans may not recognise many names in Servette’s squad, but the Swiss international Dereck Kutesa will look to cause problems from the wings. Von Moos, who just scored a cup hat-trick against underdogs Signal, provides additional firepower, while former French youth international Enzo Crivelli is expected to take the lead.

Possible Servette team (4-2-3-1, from right to left): Frick – Tsunemoto, Rouiller, Severin, Mazikou – Douline, Ondoua – Stevanovic, Antunes, Kutesa – Crivelli.

Injuries: Victory Beniangba (foot)

Suspensions: N/A

Prediction for Chelsea vs. Servette

Chelsea managed ten shots on goal in their Premier League opener against reigning champions Manchester City and, given their impressive nine-game unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge – including eight wins – prior to this defeat, the team should have little trouble eliminating the visitors on their own pitch.

It looks like the Blues will do the job without any problems, even if they make some changes to their team.

Forecast: Chelsea – Servette 3:0

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