Chelsea v Dinamo Zagreb
8pm, BT Sport 2
A 2-1 win at Red Bull Salzburg last week guaranteed the Blues will finish in top spot but that has not taken away their head coach’s competitive spirit going into their final Group E game at Stamford Bridge.
Although their 1-0 defeat in Croatia in September came three days before Potter was appointed – having triggered the sacking of his predecessor Thomas Tuchel – he is keen to ensure there is no repeat.
A victory could yet see Zagreb earn a Europa League spot for finishing third in the group and Potter said: ‘I don’t think it’s a time to be using young players just for the sake of it.
‘We have to be competitive and we have to be respectful of the competition, that still teams are looking for points for their own qualification.
‘So from our perspective we have to try and think of a team that we think will win the game.
‘We’ve used a lot of young players, a lot of them have been impressive, I like their character, I like their personality and it’s been an important part of how we’ve started here at Chelsea – to get closer to the academy guys and to get to know them.
‘We’ve got first-hand experience that Dinamo are a talented side with dangerous players. They’re still competing for the points so we have to be good, we have to be ready for them.’
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will be missing, his foot injury giving Edouard Mendy a chance to impress as he looks to reclaim the No.1 spot.
Midfielder Mateo Kovacic will be assessed ahead of the game with a slight calf issue threatening the experienced Croatia international’s hopes of featuring against the club where he first made his name.
Centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly is expected to be available for Potter, who suffered his first defeat in ten matches since taking charge of Chelsea at the weekend when they were crushed 4-1 at former club Brighton.
Striker Armando Broja is confident the Blues will bounce back tonight.
‘We know it was a bad defeat, but we’re going to bounce back from it, we’re going to dust ourselves off and go again,’ said the 21-year-old.
‘We’ve got a game coming up but we’re looking forward now to the next four or five games that we’ve got before the World Cup and we’re going to try and get as many points and try as get as far in the Carabao Cup and the Champions League as we can.
‘The next matches ahead of us are equally important so we’re going to try and do our best to find those competitions and rack up as many points in the Champions League as we can.’
Dinamo are still competing for points so we have to be good, we have to be ready
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