Chelsea vs. Burnley: Team News, Preview, Live-Stream, TV Info

Premier League champions Chelsea will start their title defence at home on Saturday, when the Blues play host to Burnley.

Manager Antonio Conte enters the 2017-18 campaign with several injury concerns, and after the loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield, a good start is needed for some much-needed momentum.

Here's everything you need to know about the Blues' Premier League curtain-raiser.

Date: Saturday, August 12

Time: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET

Venue: Stamford Bridge, London

TV Info: NBCSN (U.S.)

Live Stream: NBC Live

Team News

As reported by Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard, Victor Moses is suspended, while Eden Hazard and Tiemoue Bakayoko are out because of injury.

If Cesar Azpilicueta moves out to the left flank to replace Moses, Antonio Rudiger, who also isn't match fit, could be forced into the starting XI.

As shared by Sky Sports PL, Conte has made it clear to his board he needs more options:

Burnley have had a relatively quiet summer, but two key men have departed. Replacing defender Michael Keane―who is at Everton―will be a tall task, and with Andre Gray moving to Watford, as reported by Juliette Ferrington of BBC Sport, manager Sean Dyche will have some serious shuffling to do.

Preview

Dyche and Burnley enjoyed a remarkable 2016/17 season, standing out for their resilience against the top clubs. While the results didn't always go their way, the Clarets more often than not made things difficult for the best teams in the Premier League.

Dave Thompson/Associated Press

Per Doyle, they grabbed just a single win on the road, and with Keane and Gray now playing elsewhere, the Clarets are likely to be weakened.

The loss of Keane in particular is huge―he and goalkeeper Tom Heaton were often the key protagonists in upsets last season.

Per BBC Lancashire Sport, the 'keeper believes Burnley are improving, but it's hard to see how that's the case:

The champions should start the season with a win in front of their own fans, but Conte still has plenty of things to figure out. Alvaro Morata has done little of note in pre-season―handing him the start on opening day could be a major risk.

The Spaniard could see playing time on the left wing, where Hazard won't be able to make an appearance for some time, but in Pedro and Willian, Conte has two players better suited to playing on the flank.

In defence, Azpilicueta was a standout along the back three last year, but his versatility means he will likely replace Moses out wide on Saturday. That could see Rudiger go straight into the defence, giving him a stern first Premier League test against the likes of Sam Vokes.