World champions Chelsea host Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen tonight in their opening pre-season friendly.
The Blues returned to training on Monday following their summer break.
Enzo Maresca’s squad had been given time off following their Club World Cup triumph last month.
Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final on July 13 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
They now face a quick turnaround and scheduled to play two matches before the start of the new season with both fixtures being held at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
After facing Leverkusen, the Blues welcome Italian giants AC Milan on Sunday.
They are then set to begin their Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace on August 17.
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: Where to watch
The Blues face the Bundesliga opposition at Stamford Bridge on Friday, August 8.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7pm in west London for the friendly meeting.
Fans will be able to watch the match live for free on DAZN.
Coverage is available at no extra cost to new and existing users with a DAZN account. More info can be found here.
Chelsea pre-season fixtures
Friday, August 8 – Bayer Leverkusen, Stamford Bridge
Sunday, August 10 – AC Milan, Stamford Bridge
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: Team news
Chelsea currently have no fresh injury concerns since their Club World Cup triumph.
Wesley Fofana missed the tournament after undergoing surgery in April.
The defender had previously missed almost three months of last season with a hamstring injury.
Maresca had fitness doubts over Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Enzo Fernandez in the aftermath of the win over PSG.
However, three weeks on from the win the quartet could all be involved on Friday.
There may also be debuts for new signings Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato and Estevao.
Leverkusen’s squad includes former Premier League stars Mark Flekken and Jarrell Quansah.
Ten Hag currently has no injury absentees heading into the match.
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: What’s been said
The Leverkusen boss spoke to reporters at his side’s pre-season training camp in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ten Hag explained: “One can’t prevent players from leaving in top-level-football.
“That’s just the way it is. But it’s best if four or five players don’t leave in one transfer window, because then it becomes much more difficult to continue the process.
“All of us are facing a challenge. The team. The coaching staff. Everyone involved, right up to the board. We will have to build a new era.
“We know that it will take time to build a completely new team. We will work on that. The initial contours are visible. We now have to build on them. There are still so many weaknesses.
“Four to five players still need to be added in order to achieve our goal of finishing in the top four. The transfer window is still open for another month and a lot can happen.”