Chelsea vs. Fiorentina: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Chelsea will bring the curtain down on their pre-season commitments with their fourth and final game in the International Champions Cup on Wednesday.
Manager Jose Mourinho's side face Fiorentina at Stamford Bridge, hoping to record their first win inside 90 minutes in the competition.
Chelsea's efforts thus far have seen them lose to New York Red Bulls and draw with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona before defeating both teams on penalties.
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Indeed, so far as results go, it hasn't been an ideal pre-season for Mourinho and his players.
We'll hear it often said that results mean little at this stage, but with the new Premier League season now just three days away from kicking off, Chelsea need a win, especially as this game comes on the back of a Community Shield defeat to Arsenal at the weekend.
With just two new faces added to the squad, there's concern that Chelsea have stood still this summer while the rest of the teams around them have made significant additions.
They may be Premier League champions, but with a small squad and a lack of depth, Mourinho doesn't seem to have many options outside of his first-choice XI.
It's why facing Fiorentina is perhaps a more important fixture than it need be at this stage.
We know what Eden Hazard and Diego Costa can produce, so now it's time for those on the periphery to show they can be assets for the manager.
That means Radamel Falcao upping the ante after Mourinho confirmed that the striker will start against Fiorentina. It's also a call to arms for the likes of Juan Cuadrado, who has produced little since he joined from Fiorentina in January.
Chelsea's fringe players didn't give enough last season, and if the Blues are to retain their Premier League crown, they need to get more from the squad as a whole—a factor all the more vital as new signings have been in short supply.
Mourinho has lamented his team's sharpness over the past couple of weeks, and facing Fiorentina represents their last chance to fine-tune ahead of Swansea City's visit Saturday for their Premier League opener.
Make no mistake: This International Champions Cup match is a big occasion for the champions.
Match details
Date: Wednesday, August 5
Time: 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 and Chelsea TV (UK only); Fox Sports 1 and ESPN Deportes (U.S. only)
Live Stream: Sky Go and Chelsea TV on Demand (UK only)
Team news
With Diego Costa out for the Community Shield at the weekend, it's difficult to imagine Mourinho risking him against Fiorentina, given that the new season is so close.
Mourinho confirmed in his press conference after the Arsenal defeat that Falcao will start at Stamford Bridge, meaning Loic Remy is likely to be relegated to the bench.
Falcao isn't 100 per cent match-fit yet, so we can expect Remy to play some part.
Elsewhere in the Chelsea squad, Mourinho may look to give Cuadrado minutes against his former employers, while Oscar could start after being a substitute at Wembley.
This is going to be a game focused on fine-tuning and getting more playing time for those who haven't featured prominently in the pre-season.
Mourinho will look to field a strong team, but his selection will not reflect his lineup for Swansea City.
Regarding the visitors, Fiorentina will be on a high after defeating Barcelona 2-1 at the weekend.
Mario Suarez could start, although Giuseppe Rossi's comeback from injury likely means he will remain on the bench as he is eased back into action.
ICC games
| July 23 | New York Red Bulls 4-2 Chelsea |
| July 25 | Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Chelsea (CFC win 6-5 on PKs) |
| July 29 | Chelsea 2-2 Barcelona (CFC win 4-2 on PKs) |
| July 21 | Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 Fiorentina |
| July 24 | Benfica 0-0 Fiorentina (Fiorentina win 5-4 on PKs) |
| August 2 | Fiorentina 2-1 Barcelona |
Players to watch
Radamel Falcao
It seems like the simple response to highlight Falcao as the player to watch for Chelsea on Wednesday, but it makes sense.
There's a lot of pressure on the Colombian to perform this season. His loan move to Stamford Bridge smacks of being his Last Chance Saloon among Europe's elite, and he needs to get up to speed quickly.
His career is depending on it, but so too are Chelsea's fortunes.
Mourinho has taken a big risk in signing Falcao, and he needs it to pay off. Outside of Falcao, Costa's and Remy's injury records suggest the Colombian will get plenty of action, which he needs to make the most of.
This time last year, Chelsea faced Real Sociedad in a pre-season fixture at Stamford Bridge shortly ahead of the new season.
Costa announced himself with a brace inside the first seven minutes as Chelsea won the game 2-0. Falcao doesn't have to do the same, but he needs an equally impressive introduction to the Chelsea fans to get the momentum he needs to make an impact.
Federico Bernardeschi
He was one of the Italians who stood out at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship this summer, and now Federico Bernardeschi is wasting little time in the pre-season with his club.
The midfielder bagged a brace against European champions Barcelona on Sunday to secure a 2-1 win for Fiorentina.
That alone makes him a standout threat against Chelsea, but regardless, he's a rising star of the Italian game.
He's a crafty operator, and facing him will be a challenge for the Chelsea rearguard—one that will switch them on ahead of the new Premier League season.
Prediction
Chelsea 3-0 Fiorentina
Odds
Home win: 7-10
Away win: 9-2
Draw: 3-1
Radamel Falcao (first goalscorer): 9-2
*Odds via OddsChecker
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.
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