Chelsea v Eintracht Frankfurt: Europa League semi-final preview HERE for the latest MUFC breaking news and transfer updates SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign upfor the latest MUFC breaking news and transfer updates When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Chelsea know Frankfurt pose a real threat as they prepare to meet the free-scoring Bundesliga side for a place in the Europa League final, says midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Adi Hutter’s men capitulated 6-1 at Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, going six goals down inside the first 36 minutes to leave their hopes of Champions League qualification in the balance. The Blues have already secured a top four place in the Premier League table, but were pleased to return from Frankfurt with a 1-1 draw and an away goal after their hosts dominated the opening spell in the first leg. Frankfurt are the only team with a realistic chance of matching Chelsea’s tally of 31 goals in this season’s Europa League, sitting two goals short of that total with the help of nine strikes from Serbia prospect Luka Jovic. CHELSEA vs FRANKFURT | LIVE EUROPA LEAGUE UPDATES The young striker is widely regarded as one of the most promising finishers in Europe, only being outscored in the Europa League by Chelsea targetman Olivier Giroud. Loftus-Cheek’s three goals in the competition all came against BATE Borisov in a group stage game in October, when the England midfielder hit a classy hat-trick at Stamford Bridge. He said: “A lot of my game-time has been in the Europa League this season, scoring goals and helping the team. It would definitely feel different to lift this trophy. “I would have the feeling I have helped the team a lot on the way to lifting it, so if we do that would be amazing. ‘I’ve had some difficult times with injuries over the last couple of years. Even this season I have got injured a lot. Chelsea Frankfurt TV channel: Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic clash Chelsea Frankfurt TV channel: Ruben Loftus-Cheek hopes to reach the Europa League final I would like to be a player who can score a lot in a Premier League season Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek “But I know how to deal with that now mentally, and to stay as sharp as I can when I have been injured because when I’ve come back I’ve hit the ground running. “I’m 23 now. I don’t think I should be seen as a young player. It’s down to me to step up and play well when I have the opportunity.” Loftus-Cheek has been a regular for his club this season, with ten of his 38 appearances coming on a Europa League run that could lead to the final in Baku later this month. Managing a persistent lower back problem has been key to the success of a player who takes inspiration from former Chelsea and England trophy-winner Frank Lampard. Loftus-Cheek added: “I studied him a lot in the academy with my coaches, how he arrived in the box and his timing to get in the box and score goals. “I aspire to be a midfielder who has the ability to score goals. I would like to be a player who can score a lot in a Premier League season. That’s something I will look to improve on.’ Chelsea Frankfurt TV channel: Ruben Loftus-Cheek says Frank Lampard is an inspiration Trending Chelsea v Frankfurt: Loftus-Cheek previews Europa League clash<doc-sep>Can Eden Hazard lead Chelsea to Europa League glory (Picture: Getty Images) Chelsea travel to Germany on Thursday night for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie with Eintracht Frankfurt. The Blues are clear favourites to progress against the Bundesliga side, although they will have to deal with one of Europe’s hottest prospects in Luka Jovic. The 21-year-old has scored eight goals in the Europa League this season, a total only bettered by one man – Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud who has scored 10. Frankfurt are enjoying a good season in Germany under Adi Hutter, sitting fourth in the Bundesliga, and have beaten the likes of Benfica and Inter Milan to reach this stage. The Londoners might be favourites, but the German are certainly no pushovers. Luka Jovic has eight Europa League goals this season (Picture: Getty Images) When is Frankfurt vs Chelsea? The match is on Thursday 2 May with kick-off at 8pm at the Commerzbank-Arena. What TV channel is Frankfurt vs Chelsea on and is there a live stream? BT Sport 3 will be showing the game live with coverage starting at 7.15pm. Subscribers can stream the action on BT Sport Player or watch on the BT Sport app. Team news Chelsea have a couple of problems in defence with Antonio Rudiger out for the season after knee surgery and Gary Cahill struggling with an Achilles problem. Willian is fit, however, after recovering from a knock in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United. What are the odds? (Courtesy of Betfair) To win the match 11/5 Eintracht Frankfurt 23/10 Draw 7/5 Chelsea To qualify 17/10 Frankfurt 4/9 Chelsea MORE : Arsenal vs Valencia TV channel, live stream, time, odds and team news for Europa League semi-final MORE : Jamie Carragher sends warning to Luis Suarez ahead of Barcelona’s trip to Liverpool<doc-sep>Maurizio Sarri's Blues are seeking to take their next step towards the Europa League final in Baku later this month Chelsea visit the Commerzbank-Arena on Thursday to continue their quest for the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt. Maurzio Sarri’s men lie fourth in the Premier League following a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, but also have the opportunity of reaching a European final in Baku on May 29. Standing in their way are a Frankfurt side on target for their best domestic season since the early 1990s. They have their eyes fixed on a first Champions League appearance, which could either come via a top-four finish in the Bundesliga or Europa League success. Game Eintracht Frankfurt vs Chelsea Date Thursday, May 2 Time 8pm BST / 3pm EST Stream (US only) fubo TV (7-day free trial) TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here! In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial). New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser. US TV channel Online stream Univision Deportes fubo TV (7-day free trial) In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on BT Sport 3 or can be streamed via BT Sport Live. UK TV channel Online stream BT Sport 3 BT Sport Live Squads & Team News Position Eintracht Frankfurt squad Goalkeepers Trapp, Ronnow, Zimmermann Defenders N'Dicka, Hinterregger, Falette, Abraham, Russ, Willems, Da Costa, Chandler Midfielders Torro, Fernandes, Hasebe, Cetin, De Guzman, Rode, Kostic, Gacinovic Forwards Rebic, Jovic, Haller, Paciencia Eintracht Frankfurt are not short of headaches ahead of this encounter, with Ante Rebic suspended and attacker Sebastien Haller missing out with injury. As such, the spotlight will fall more than ever on Luka Jovic for goals. Marc Stendera is also an injury concern, although Mijat Gacinovic recovers in time to start. Confirmed Eintracht Frankfurt starting XI: Trapp; Hasebe, Abraham, Hinteregger; Da Costa, Rode, Fernandes, Falette; Gacinovic, Jovic, Kostic Position Chelsea squad Goalkeepers Kepa, Caballero, Bulka Defenders Alonso, Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Emerson Midfielders Jorginho, Kante, Hazard, Barkley, Pedro, Loftus-Cheek, Ampadu, Moses, Willian, Kovacic Forwards Giroud, Higuain Star man Eden Hazard starts on the bench, with Willian overcoming a fitness doubt to start with Pedro either side of Olivier Giroud. Chelsea have been dealt a blow with the news that Antonio Rudiger will miss the remainder of the season due to injury. He joins Callum Hudson-Odoi on the sidelines. Confirmed Chelsea starting XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Christensen, David Luiz, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek; Pedro, Giroud, Willian Betting & Match Odds Chelsea are marginal favourites to win this tie as they are priced at 17/10 with bet365. Frankfurt can be backed at 9/5, while the draw is available at 12/5. Click here to see all of bet 365's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more. Match Preview Chelsea’s goal this season was to achieve Champions League football for the 2019-20 campaign, and Maurizio Sarri is close to delivering just that. The Blues have two chances of guaranteeing a return to European football’s top table, either by finishing in the top four in the Premier League, which they appear favourites to do, or by winning the Europa League. Critics suggest that they have not been particularly stretched in Europe yet, allowing them to navigate continental football using a fringe team. For example, in the past three rounds, they have swept past Molde, Dynamo Kiev and Sparta Prague without any issues. Domestically, the tale has not been so straightforward for Sarri. After a promising start to the season, Chelsea’s form disappeared, with a defeat to Liverpool and recent draws against Burnley and an out-of-sorts Man Utd indicative of a side not firing on all cylinders. Star man Eden Hazard made it clear just how important playing at the highest level is when the Real Madrid target told Sky Sports: “I want to play in the Champions League.” With the potential of a transfer ban looming in the summer, it is essential the club can retain its star players, and playing in such a competition should stop heads from turning so readily. Eintracht Frankfurt, meanwhile, should provide a stern test of the Stamford Bridge side’s mettle, particularly as they are juggling their domestic commitments concurrently. Formerly one of the giants of European football – they were the victims of Real Madrid’s finest hour as the Spaniards won 7-3 at Hampden in the 1960 European Cup final - they have been a club starved of recent success. Nevertheless, fourth in the Bundesliga and in line for their highest finish since the 1992-93 season, they are poised to return to a heavyweight level, having spent more time in 2.Bundesliga than Europe since the early 90s. Propelled by the goals of Luka Jovic and Sebastien Haller, their well-balanced approach to the game has made them one of the most exciting sides in Germany. Article continues below Their run to the last four has been considerably trickier than that of their opponents, with Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter and Benfica their victims. Indeed, against the Portuguese side, they fought back from a 4-2 deficit, winning 2-0 at home to qualify on away goals. Chelsea would do well to heed this warning.<doc-sep>
Maurizio Sarri will want a repeat performance of Sunday’s 3-0 win over Watford when Chelsea host Eintracht Frankfurt with a place in the Europa League final up for grabs The first-leg ended 1-1 in Germany and Sarri will want to to reach his first ever European final at the age of 60. It would also be the Blues first European final since another former Napoli manager, Rafael Benitez, led them to Europa League glory in 2013. With a top-four finish now secured, Sarri can fully focus on bringing silverware to London in his first season in charge. Here is all the key information you need to know ahead of the game… (Image: ARMANDO BABANI/EPA-EFE/REX) When is the game? The game takes place on Thursday May 9. Kick-off is set for 8pm. Where is the match taking place? Chelsea’s home ground of Stamford Bridge will host the game. The stadium has a capacity of just under 42,000 supporters. Is the match on TV? The game is being shown on BT Sport 3 for those who are based in the UK. The coverage will begin at 7.15pm and is set to be hosted by Lynsey Hipgrave. Can you live stream the game? If you are a BT Sport subscriber and are based in the Uk, you can stream the action through their website and the BT Sport app. Alternatively, you can follow all of the action on the Mirror football live blog. (Image: Bongarts/Getty) Chelsea team news Mauricio Sarri will be without N’Golo Kante for the crucial second-leg after the tireless midfielder picked up a hamstring injury at the weekend against Watford. Sarri has said that Kante needs to rest for a couple of weeks but is hopeful that the Frenchman would be fit for the Europa League final, should Chelsea make it. The Blues will name a strong team, with Sarri desperate to bring a trophy back to Stamford Bridge to lift spirits after an inconsistent and often frustrating season for Chelsea. Olivier Giroud is likely to start up front and will hope to continue his fine form in the Europa League this season, while Willian and Pedro are tipped to start with Eden Hazard a substitute is needed. Andreas Christensen is poised to play alongside David Luiz in central defence, whilst Emerson seems set to come in for Marcos Alonso after the Spaniard was preferred at the weekend. Frankfurt team news Eintracht Frankfurt rested players at the weekend and suffered as a result of it. They got hammered 6-1 at top four rivals Bayer Leverkusen, but will look to reap the rewards when they visit Stamford Bridge. A front three of Luka Jovic, Sebastien Haller and Ante Rebic is likely as the fearsome trio look to propel Frankfurt into the final. Haller missed the first-leg and the French striker, who has 14 goals in the Bundesliga alone this season, will be a major boost for the visiting side. Rebic missed the first-leg through suspension and has been influential this season for the German side, which Chelsea will no doubt be aware of. Betting odds To win: Chelsea 1/3 Draw 4/1 Frankfurt 15/2 To qualify: Chelsea 1/5 Frankfurt 7/2 Odds courtesy of Paddy Power