Chelsea to play Belgium's Gent in Conference League opener
2-time Champions League champions Blues to face 2022-23 Conference League quarterfinalists Gent for the 1st time
ANKARA
English Premier League side Chelsea will play Belgium's Gent in their UEFA Europa Conference League opener at 1900GMT on Thursday.
The match at Stamford Bridge will be the first time that two-time Champions League champions the Blues will face 2022-23 Conference League quarterfinalists Genk.
Gent boss Wouter Vrancken said of the upcoming duel: "Playing football at Stamford Bridge is always special."
Gent's Israeli midfielder Omri Gandelman may not play against Chelsea, which may make things a bit more difficult for Vrancken's side.
This is Chelsea's first Conference League campaign under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
Apart from English fullback Reece James' hamstring injury, Maresca will have his full squad available for the Conference League match.,
UEFA Europa Conference League Fixtures:
Wednesday:
Istanbul Basaksehir vs. SK Rapid Wien
Vitoria de Guimaraes vs. NK Celje
Thursday:
FC Heidenheim 1846 vs. Olimpija Ljubljana
Astana vs. Backa Topola
Cercle Brugge vs. St Gallen
Dinamo Minsk vs. Hearts
Legia Warsaw vs. Real Betis
Molde vs. Larne
Noah vs. Mlady Boleslav
Omonia Nicosia vs. Vikingur Reykjavik
Borac vs. Panathinaikos
Chelsea vs. Gent
FC Copenhagen vs. Jagiellonia Bialystok
FC Lugano vs. HJK Helsinki
Fiorentina vs. The New Saints FC
Linz ASK vs. Djurgardens
Petrocub-Hincesti vs. Pafos
Shamrock Rovers vs. Apoel Nicosia
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