Stamford Bridge
Sunday, 20 August
Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD 2
William Gallas could figure for Chelsea who start the defence of their title without a host of big-name players.
Petr Cech, Robert Huth and Joe Cole are all out, Claude Makelele and Geremi have muscle strains and Michael Ballack is unlikely to overcome his hip injury.
Manchester City new-boy Dietmar Hamann has a foot problem and has joined Andy Cole on the sidelines, with the striker recuperating from a knee injury.
Richard Dunne should figure and Sylvain Distin will play if still at the club.
Chelsea (from): Cudicini, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Bridge, Diarra, Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Robben, Wright-Phillips, Shevchenko, Kalou, Drogba, Smith, Mancienne, Hilario.
Manchester City (from): Isaksson, Weaver, Sun Jihai, Onuoha, Richards, Mills, Dunne, Distin, Jordan, Thatcher, Sinclair, Reyna, Dabo, Barton, Vassell, Samaras, Corradi, Dickov, Sturridge.
# Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho:
"I prefer to play competitive matches than friendlies but I only like to go into matches when I feel my team is ready for it.
"That's not the case now. It's a funny situation to prepare a team without training sessions.
"We have new players, yes, but we also lost good players and we will have 15 players for Manchester City."
# Man City midfielder Dietmar Hamann:
"It might not be a bad time to play Chelsea.
"They have a few new players and virtually all of their squad played in the World Cup so they have not had much of a pre-season.
"I don't mind playing them first but it could have been an easier start."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
CHELSEA launch their bid for a third successive Premier League title, at home to fellow Premiership founder members Manchester City. Jose Mourinho's financially affluent west London outfit, who lost 1-2 to Liverpool in the Community Shield last Sunday, are aiming to become the first club to clinch the crown three times on the bounce since Manchester United in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
In two years under the current manager, Chelsea have won 58 of 76 League games, and lost just six, bagging 186 points, dropping a mere 42. They won their first English League title in 50 years in 2004-05 by 12 points from Arsenal, whereas last May the margin was eight points superior to the runners-up, Manchester United. They've never been beaten at home in a League game under Mourinho, and last lost a Premiership fixture at Stamford Bridge on 21 February 2004, when Arsenal were the visitors.
Blues completed the 'double' over Manchester City last season with a 2-0 victory in this corresponding fixture. City played the majority of the second half with 10 men, after Sylvain Distin was dismissed for two bookable offences. Chelsea have kept clean sheets in six of the last seven Premiership contests with the Citizens.
MANCHESTER CITY have the toughest possible fixture with which to open their account. Stuart Pearce's men spent the majority of last season in mid table obscurity, and eventually faded to finish three places and nine points above the drop zone.
The Citizens have never done better in the Premiership than their eighth placing in the season before last, but they can match Chelsea in one department. Both clubs notched the fewest number of draws in the top table last term (four each).
City's only win in 16 Premiership confrontations with Chelsea was 1-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium on 16 October 2004, when a Niclas Anelka penalty forced a first defeat of that season on the Londoners. City's only Premiership triumph at the Bridge was the initial fixture there on 9 January 1993. The visitors were the better by four goals to two, with a double for Mike Sheron.
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
CHELSEA
Club stats
Fixtures
Last season: 1st 91 points
1. One of seven ever presents in the Premier League.
2. Competing in their 72nd top flight campaign, and 18th in a row since 1989-90.
3. Scored 144 Premiership goals in two title winning seasons (72 in each), at an average of 1.89 goals per game.
4. Conceded only 37 in the same period (15 in 2004-05 and 22 in 2005-06), which is 0.49 goals per game.
5. Won their opening League fixture in each on the last four seasons and unbeaten in the opener for seven years.
6. Not lost a first League match of the campaign since Coventry's 2-1 home win over Chelsea in 1998. Since when the Londoners have won six of the subsequent seven.
7. Won their first nine Premiership matches last season with clean sheets in the opening six, and remained unbeaten in the first 11.
8. Did not drop a point until held by Everton to a 1-1 draw on 23 October, and did not lose until Manchester United's 1-0 victory at Old Trafford on 6 November.
9. Lost the last two matches of the last League season. Both by 1-0 margins, and both away, to Blackburn and Newcastle.
10. Challenging for an eighth successive home Premiership maximum, to take their undefeated home League run to 45 matches. Last dropped points at the Bridge on 22 January, when held to a 1-1 draw by Charlton.
MANCHESTER CITY
Club stats
Fixtures
Last season: 15th 43 points
1. Setting out on a 10th Premier League campaign and fifth in a row.
2. The two times League champions (1936-37 and 1967-68) are participating in their 78th season of top flight football.
3. Drawn their opening League fixture on each of the last two seasons.
4. Completed the first five matches without defeat last term, winning three and drawing two until a 0-1 home reverse to Bolton on 18 September.
5. Battling to avoid a fourth successive Premiership defeat.
6. Lost all but one of their last 10 League outings. A 0-1 win at Aston Villa on 25 April was the exception.
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
CHELSEA
Squad profiles
Ins and Outs
Frank LAMPARD was Chelsea's top scorer last season with 20 goals - 16 of which were netted in the Premiership.
If he plays, Ricardo CARVALHO will be making his 50th Premiership appearance for Chelsea.
MANCHESTER CITY
Squad profiles
Ins and Outs
David JAMES (now a Portsmouth player) was one of 10 ever presents in the Premiership last season - seven of which were goalkeepers.
Andrew COLE was City's leading scorer last season with 10 goals - nine in the Premiership.
If he plays, Richard DUNNE will be making his 250th career League appearance.
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City
25 March 2006 - Ref: Rob Styles
Chelsea scorers: Drogba 30, 33
Sent Off: Distin (Man City) 45
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Chelsea 47 wins, Man City 39, Draws 36
Prem: Chelsea 12 wins, Man City 2, Draws 4
HEAD TO HEAD at Chelsea
League: Chelsea 29 wins, Man City 12, Draws 20
Prem: Chelsea 5 wins, Man City 1, Draws 3
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