Overview
- Kick-off is Tuesday 9 December at 20:00 GMT at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo, with live UK coverage on TNT Sports and streaming via Discovery+.
- Chelsea travel without Cole Palmer and Liam Delap, while Moises Caicedo is available as his suspension is domestic only; Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo remain out, and Reece James and Wesley Fofana are in the squad.
- Atalanta list Kamaldeen Sulemana and Mitchel Bakker as absentees for the fixture.
- Recent form diverges by competition: Chelsea are winless in three Premier League games but thrashed Barcelona 3-0 in Europe, while Atalanta sit 12th in Serie A after a 3-1 loss to Verona yet have taken 10 of the last 12 Champions League points with multiple clean sheets.
- Raffaele Palladino demanded a “perfect performance” to “prove ourselves,” and Enzo Maresca emphasized managing returning players’ workloads and highlighted Atalanta’s aggressive tactical approach.