REVEALED: Mauricio Pochettino's debut for Chelsea

Tom Weber

• Updated: 29 May 2023 13:55 BST
• 3 min read

Mauricio Pochettino's first game in charge of Chelsea will be against one of football's biggest names.

The Argentine has at last been confirmed as the Blues' new head coach after weeks of speculation. Frank Lampard had overseen the end of Chelsea's disastrous campaign but he failed to have any kind of impact, winning just one of his 11 games in the dugout - a 3-1 victory over relegation battlers Bournemouth.

The Blues drew 1-1 with Newcastle United on Sunday to finally end their misery, finishing 2022/23 in a lowly 12th, just ten points above relegated Leicester and 27 points off the Magpies in fourth.

With €600 million spent and merely a bloated squad to show for it, Mauricio Pochettino will have his hands full trying to mould a competent team for next season, though the talent is certainly already there.

READ: Poch's first signing! New Chelsea boss APPROVES €60m hijack on former club

The 51-year-old will get the chance to give Blues fans a first taste of what is to come in pre-season.

What is Mauricio Pochettino's first game for Chelsea?

As things stand, Pochettino's first game in charge will see his side line up against Wrexham. The celebrity-owned Welshmen, newly-promoted to League Two, will meet Chelsea at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on July 19 during the Blues' tour of the USA.

A few days later, they will travel to Philadelphia to face Brighton at Lincoln Financial Field (July 22) as the Seagulls prepare for their European adventure next season.

READ: How Chelsea could line up under Mauricio Pochettino

Games against Newcastle in Atlanta (July 26), local rivals Fulham in Summerfield, Maryland (July 30) and Dortmund at the famous Soldier Field in Chicago (August 2) will cap off Chelsea's US tour.

For now, Pochettino will have to assess the squad at his disposal and decide on which players to keep - and take along on the pre-season trip - and which to get rid of in order to be able to bring in fresh faces more suited to his style.