Chelsea Will Reportedly Not Host George Groves vs. Chris Eubank Jr. Bout

George Groves' dream of fighting at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium will reportedly not come to pass if the British star advances to a World Boxing Super Series semi-final bout against compatriot Chris Eubank Jr. 

According to Liam Twomey of ESPN FC, Groves is a lifelong fan of the Blues, and he's in line to face Eubank if he can get past Jamie Cox on Saturday. Tournament promoter Kalle Sauerland previously told reporters there had been "exploratory discussions" with Chelsea and other clubs from the capital to stage the fight.

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Stamford Bridge would be vacant on January 20, when the fight would take place, but Chelsea are not entertaining the idea of hosting the bout, per Tomey:

“Chelsea's primary concern is the potentially detrimental effect that transforming Stamford Bridge into a boxing venue and back could have on the pitch, with the club wary of agreeing to anything that might make an already challenging campaign more difficult for Antonio Conte and his players."

Twomey also pointed out Chelsea Pitch Owners, the fan-owned company that has the freehold to the ground, would have to agree to the club hosting any non-football related events.

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The 29-year-old Groves is the current WBA super-middleweight champion, while Eubank holds the IBO super-middleweight belt.

The two are among the most high-profile boxers in Britain and could headline a card in most major venues in the capital. The O2 Arena, London's primary venue for major boxing events, will not be available on January 20.