Premier League: Will Romelu Lukaku play Chelsea's opener vs Crystal Palace?

Chelsea's new signing Romelu Lukaku will reportedly not feature in their opening match of the 2021-22 Premier League against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Lukaku is set to make a return to Chelsea after the Blues reached a £97.5 million deal with Inter Milan in the 2021 summer transfer window. However, the Belgian forward won't be available for the Cystal Palace game as the transfer is unlikely to be finalised before the fixture, according to The Athletic. The 28-year-old forward, who helped Inter Milan win their first Serie A last season, their first league title since 2010, is expected to play Chelsea's clash with Arsenal on Aug. 22 at the Emirates Stadium.

When is Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Premier League match?

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace is scheduled to take place at Stamford Bridge on Aug. 14 (Saturday) and will start at 7.30 PM IST.

Chelsea, who last won the Premier League in 2016-17, narrowly escaped finishing below top four in the table last term as Thomas Tuchel's side claimed the fourth spot on the final day of the season. The Blues,however, finished the 2020-21 campaign on a high as they won the Champions League, by defeating Manchester City in the final.

Lukaku, who started his Premier League career back in 2011 with Chelsea, is excited to be back at Stamford Bridge. 'I'm happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club. It's been a long journey for me: I came here as a kid who had a lot to learn, now I'm coming back with a lot of experience and more mature. The relationship I have with this club means so much to me, as you know. I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling," Lukaku told Chelsea's website after signing a contract with the club.

"The way the club is going fits my ambitions perfectly at 28 and just coming off winning Serie A. I think this opportunity comes at the right time and hopefully we can have a lot of success together. Since I left Chelsea, it's been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, but these experiences made me strong and the challenge is to try to help the team win some more trophies. I can't wait to get started and to help the club achieve more success," added Lukaku in the same interview.

Lukaku was in fine form during his two seasons at Inter Milan. He netted 30 goals and 10 assists in 44 competitive appearances for the San Siro side last season. Overall, he finished his Inter Milan career with 64 goals and 16 assists in as many as 95 matches, across all competitions.