Chelsea will attempt to bounce back from their Community Shield defeat to Arsenal at the weekend when they welcome Fiorentina to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening in the International Champions Cup.

Fiorentina, on the other hand, will enter the match full of confidence following an impressive 2-1 victory over European champions Barcelona on Sunday.

Chelsea

Many still have Chelsea down as the favourites to retain the Premier League title in the coming season, but there are increasing question marks the team's readiness for the new campaign.

The Blues began their preparations on July 23 with a 4-2 defeat to New York Red Bulls, before beating Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in the second match of their United States tour.

Jose Mourinho's side wrapped up their tour with a 2-2 draw against Barcelona before again winning on penalties, but their first competitive match of the 2015-16 season ended with disappointment on Sunday as they were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley.

It was a largely frustrating afternoon for the Premier League champions, who certain Diego Costa lacked a cutting edge in the final third. There is not much time for the team to get it right, however, with their league season opening this Saturday at home to Swansea City.

After hosting Swansea, Chelsea will travel to Manchester City in their second Premier League match, before travelling to West Bromwich Albion one week later. It is not an easy start for Mourinho, who has already started the mind games with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

A midweek friendly against Fiorentina is another opportunity for the Chelsea boss to experiment, however, as he attempts to work out a formula for the new campaign. The Blues struggled to find their form in the latter stages of last season and they cannot afford a slow start.

Recent form: WLWWL

Fiorentina

A strong end to the 2014-15 Serie A campaign saw Fiorentina finish fourth in the table for a third successive season and as a result, secure more Europa League football. That was not enough for Vincenzo Montella to keep his job, however, and breaking into the top three is now the challenge for the recently-appointed head coach Paulo Sousa.

The Italian side opened their preparations for the new campaign with a 4-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on July 22, but they have won their last two matches – beating Benfica on penalties, before overcoming Barcelona on Sunday.

The victory against Barca was all the more important when considering that it was Sousa's first home game in charge of the Italian side, and the supporters will have been very pleased with what they saw against the European champions.

The challenge facing Fiorentina this season is finding a way to breach the top three teams in Italian football. Juventus will fancy their chances of claiming another league title in the new season, but there is a scramble behind, with Roma and Napoli both pushing for second position.

Inter Milan and AC Milan have also both strengthened this summer, meanwhile, and their pre-season performances suggest that their challenge will be stronger. It will be a tough first season in charge for Sousa, who will also be expected to make an impression in the Europa League.

Last season, Fiorentina made it to the semi-finals of the competition, but the manner of their exit – a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Sevilla – is believed to be one of the key reasons why Montella lost his job. First on the horizon is Chelsea, however, and another strong display will leave the fans dreaming.

Recent form: WWLWW

Team News

Chelsea's Brazilian-born Spanish striker Diego Costa celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge in London on March 15, 2015

Chelsea are still sweating over the fitness of Costa, and Mourinho will surely be desperate to hand the Spanish international some minutes ahead of the start of the Premier League season.

It is more likely that Costa will appear off the bench, however, which could mean a start for Radamel Falcao. Oscar and Kurt Zouma could also return to the XI, while Asmir Begovic may get another chance to impress between the sticks.

Eden Hazard, Willian and Cesc Fabregas should all keep their spots in the team.

As for Fiorentina, Sousa is not expected to make too many changes from their impressive victory over Barcelona last time out.

Mario Suarez could come in for his first start since arriving from Atletico Madrid, but Guiseppe Rossi is expected to continue his comeback from injury off the bench.

Federico Bernardeschi's two goals against Barca should also be enough to retain his spot.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Begovic; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Hazard, Oscar, Willian; Falcao

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Tatarusanu; Pasqual, Roncaglia, Rodriguez, Tomovic; Suarez, Valero; Rebic, Babacar, Joaquin; Bernardeschi

Head To Head

Somewhat surprisingly, these two teams have never met in any format.

We say: Chelsea 2-0 Fiorentina

Fiorentina will enter the match full of confidence following a morale-boosting win against Barcelona, but facing a wounded Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will be a different prospect.

We are expecting a cagey affair for long spells, but believe that Chelsea will return to winning ways with a routine victory.