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FIFA have announced the exact dates and venues for Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign. The Blues will enter the competition on account of them being the defenders of the coveted Champions League trophy.
Chelsea will enter the competition at the semi-final stage and will take on one of Al Jazira, Al Hilal, or Auckland City.
The game, featuring Chelsea and one of the teams mentioned above, will take place on February 9 at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Kick-off will be at 8.30 pm local time and 4.30 pm UK time.
Palmeiras and one of Ah Ahly or Monterrey will play their semi-final on February 8 at 8.30 pm.
Should Chelsea defeat their opponents, they will play in the final on February 12. The final, too, will take place at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium at 8.30 pm local time.
However, Chelsea will contest in a third/fourth place play-off at 5 pm (1 pm UK) on Saturday 12 February should they lose the semi-final clash.
The third/fourth place will take place at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Tickets and all other corresponding details will be announced soon.
Chelsea are favorites to win the Champions League this year as well
The Blues' 4-0 mauling of Juventus in their previous Champions League clash reiterates how dominant they have been in the last couple of seasons.
Chelsea were previously dominating the domestic league as well. However, after winning just two out of their last five Premier League games, they sit in third place. Chelsea are currently behind Liverpool (34 points) and Manchester City (35 points).
Chelsea take on FC Zenit, which will be their last group stage clash for this year's iteration of the Champions League campaign on December 8. However, the match is more or less a formality as Chelsea have already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition.
This serves as the perfect opportunity for Thomas Tuchel to rotate his playing XI. The Blues currently find themselves in turbulent waters because of their long list of injuries.
Chelsea will take on Leeds United in the Premier League on December 11, following their game against FC Zenit.
