A quirk of the newly-released 2026/27 Premier League fixture list means that Chelsea will not leave London until a visit to face Everton in mid-October.
The Blues begin the season with a trip to neighbours Fulham, before hosting Brighton and Hove Albion.
Further away games see Xabi Alonso’s side visit Arsenal and Brentford, and they will also host Bournemouth and newly-promoted Hull City before their visit to Merseyside.
In the meantime, it has emerged that Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign a talented wing-back from Serie A.
As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign wing-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta for a fee of around £47 million.
Romano claims that the Blues have reached a full verbal agreement to sign the 21-year-old, who impressed last season while on loan at fellow Italian outfit Cagliari.
Palestra is a product of Atalanta’s youth system but has only played 16 times for the club at senior level.
Palestra looks set to join Chelsea in the coming weeks (Photo: LaPresse/Alamy)
During his time with Cagliari, though, he provided four assists in 37 games and established a growing reputation as a talented youngster.
Romano claims that the deal to take Palestra from Bergamo to London will also include a sell-on clause, with the Serie A side set to benefit from a percentage of any fee that Chelsea receive if they sell him in the future.
It is also claimed that Serie A champions Inter Milan were working hard on a deal to sign Palestra, but Chelsea have now hijacked the move and the player is instead set to join the Blues.
If a deal is finalised, Palestra could become the first signing of the Alonso era at Stamford Bridge, with the London side having already allowed Marc Cucurella to join Real Madrid since Alonso’s arrival in SW6.