The fixture list, on paper at least, has been kind to Chelsea given their toils in pre-season. The champions’ World Cup contingent are still finding their feet, with four successive friendlies lost, though the suspicion remains that they will hit the ground running against newly promoted opponents. West Bromwich Albion have not even scored a league goal at Stamford Bridge since 1988 and Roberto Di Matteo, once the hearty welcome back to an old haunt dies down, could be in for a troubled top-flight managerial baptism. Certainly, the size of the task ahead could be made very clear on the opening afternoon. Dominic Fifield

Venue Stamford Bridge, Saturday 5.30pm

Tickets Sold out

Last season n/a

Referee M Clattenburg Last season’s matches 31 Y84, R5, 2.87 cards per game

Odds Chelsea 2-11 West Bromwich 20-1 Draw 13-2

Chelsea

Subs from Hilário, Turnbull, Ivanovic, Bruma, Mancienne, Zhirkov, Benayoun, Matic, Kakuta, Kalou, Borini, Sturridge

Doubtful Alex (thigh), Cech (calf), Lampard (ankle)

Injured Bosingwa (knee, Sep)

Suspended None

Form guide n/a

Disciplinary record (last season) Y57 R5

Leading scorer (last season) Drogba 29

West Bromwich

Subs from Myhill, Barnes, Olsson, Cech, Mattock, Zuiverloon, Cox, Bednar, Méïté, Wood, Thomas, Moore

Doubtful Dorrans (groin), Ibáñez (hamstring)

Injured None

Suspended None

Form guide n/a

Disciplinary record (last season) Y89 R4

Leading scorers (last season) Brunt, Dorrans 13

Match pointers

• Chelsea have not lost their first game in a top-flight season since Coventry won 2-1 at Highfield Road in 1998

• West Bromwich have not won at Chelsea in a league match since September 1978

• In 2009-10 Chelsea became the first side to score over 100 goals in a top-flight campaign since Tottenham in 1962-63

• West Bromwich scored 27 goals from outside the box in the Championship last term – a divisional high

• Chelsea conceded a higher proportion of goals from set pieces (68%) last season than any other side in the division

Premier LeagueChelseaWest Bromguardian.co.uk

Tottenham Hotspur can breathe new life into the title race by repeating their midweek success over Arsenal and beating the league leaders. Chelsea used to refer to trips to Spurs as visits to ‘Three Point Lane’, though they have actually not won across the capital in the league since the last time they claimed the title, back in 2005-06. Last season saw a bomb scare before kick-off and, ultimately, the only defeat of Guus Hiddink’s spell in temporary charge. “Everything started wrong and it became clear pretty quickly that things weren’t going to go our way,” said Petr Cech. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will attempt to make amends. Dominic Fifield

Venue White Hart Lane, Saturday 5.30pm

Tickets Sold out

Last season Tottenham 1 Chelsea 0

Referee P Dowd

This season’s matches 26 Y77, R4, 3.12 cards per game

Odds Tottenham 10-3 Chelsea 10-11 Draw 5-2

Tottenham

Subs from Alnwick, J Walker, King, Rose, Dervite, Livermore, Crouch, Gudjohnsen, Townsend, K Walker, Fredericks, Kane

Doubtful King (knee), Rose (knee)

Injured Corluka (ankle, 24 Apr), Jenas (virus, 24 Apr), Lennon (groin, 24 Apr), Kranjcar (ankle, Aug), Woodgate (groin, Aug), Cudicini (pelvis/wrists, Aug)

Suspended Palacios (last of two)

Form guide WLWWWW

Disciplinary record Y53 R1

Leading scorer Defoe 17

Chelsea

Subs from Hilário, Turnbull, Sturridge, Anelka, Borini, Ballack, Kakuta, Ivanovic, A Cole, Van Aanholt, Bruma, Belletti, Kalou

Doubtful Hilário (groin), Ivanovic (knee)

Injured Carvalho (ankle, 2 May), Essien (knee, 2 May), Bosingwa (knee, Aug)

Suspended None

Form guide WWWWDW

Disciplinary record Y49 R4

Leading scorer Drogba 25

Match pointers

• Chelsea have scored an average of 4.17 goals per game in matches that Didier Drogba has missed this season compared to 2.14 when he has played

• Tottenham have kept three clean sheets in 17 Premier League meetings with Chelsea at White Hart Lane

• Joe Cole has picked up the quickest yellow card after coming on as a substitute this season – after 1min 14sec against Arsenal

• Tottenham have won four of their 62 league matches against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United since the turn of the millennium

• Only Portsmouth (33) have used more players than Chelsea in the league this season (30)

Premier LeagueTottenham HotspurChelseaguardian.co.uk

• Full-back steps up rehabilitation following fractured ankle
• Cole should have time to impress England manager

The England manager, Fabio Capello, has been given a boost after Chelsea confirmed that Ashley Cole will be able to resume running in training in a fortnight as he steps up his rehabilitation from a fractured ankle.

Cole returned earlier this month from a spell at a medical centre in the south of France – along with his Chelsea team-mate Michael Essien, who has a knee injury – and was able to start work with physios at the club’s Cobham training centre today. The Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is convinced the full-back will be able to return to the first team before the end of the Premier League season, allowing Cole time to prove his form and fitness ahead of the World Cup finals.

The 29-year-old, who fractured the joint in a clash with Everton’s Landon Donovan in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Goodison Park last month, did some light work with the club doctor, Dr Bryan English, in a sandpit at the training complex. “Ashley’s recovery is going very well,” said Ancelotti. “He’s started to train with the physios today and I think that he will train on the ground, running, maybe in 15 days. So I think he will be ready before the end of the season.”

Capello’s options at left-back are limited without Cole after Wayne Bridge’s decision to retire from international football. Everton’s Leighton Baines gained his first cap in the friendly victory over Egypt on 3 March while Stephen Warnock – impressive in his first season at Aston Villa – also has only one cap.

Ashley ColeChelseaEnglandDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk