Dua Lipa was in the stands during the Chelsea vs Fulham game to promote her movie. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Football.London, the London derby between Crystal Palace and Chelsea to be played at Selhurst Park on October 1 is in doubt after train drivers of 12 rail companies that they will go on a strike for two days in early October, one of them being the game day.
As per new Inews (h/t Football.London), the strikes are now due to take place on October 1st and 5th as part of the ongoing dispute over pay to the workers. Major rail strikes were initially planned on September 15th and 17th, but it got cancelled due to the death of the Queen and the following mourning period.
Chelsea have already had their two Premier League games postponed before the international break due to events surrounding the death of the Queen – away at Fulham and home to Liverpool. It won’t be good for their fixture congestion later on in the season if the Palace game also gets pushed back from the schedule.
However, there have been games in the past that did not get postponed due to a rail strike. It is up to the Premier League to decide whether it is viable enough to play the game. They are expected to make an announcement in the coming days regarding this.
Moreover, given that there is a north London derby scheduled on the same day, the worry will be there among the fans without an adequate system to go to games and have a route back.
While the postponement of the Palace would not be helpful, the free weekend at the expense of the Liverpool game could be vital for new manager Graham Potter to gel with the squad.
The former Swansea City manager has also decided to do one-on-one meetings with the players before the international break to understand them better.
If the Palace game goes ahead, it will be the next game Chelsea play, otherwise, it would be against AC Milan at home in the Champions League in a must-win contest.
The Blues are at the bottom of Group G after their recent draw against RB Salzburg. Milan lead the pack with four points from two games.
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