Chelsea boss Graham Potter has admitted that he is relishing the 13-game schedule for his side in October after replacing Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.
The head coach has had to wait 23 days from his appointment to his first Premier League match in charge of Chelsea.
However, he got the taste of action for the Blues as he was in the dugout for their 1-1 draw against FC Salzburg in the Champions League, leaving them with one point from two matches in the group.
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The Englishman will be looking to start strong in the Premier League when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace on Saturday.
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The Blues lost two matches in the league already this season under Tuchel, a 3-0 loss to Leeds United and 2-1 against Southampton.
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Potter has failed to beat Crystal Palace in his career, facing them seven times.
The former Brighton head coach is looking forward to the match and the games ahead, with Chelsea playing 13 times in a congested October ahead of the 2022 World Cup beginning in November.
Speaking to the press ahead of Saturday's clash, Potter admitted that he is relishing the 13-game schedule at Chelsea.
When asked about his emotions having to wait 23 days for his first league match since his appointment, Potter admitted: “Probably a bit of both if I'm honest.
"Used a bit of time to get to know people but at the same time we're itching to play.
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"We couldn't control anything in terms of how things have panned out, we've had to make the most of it.”
The 47-year-old was then asked about Antonio Conte's criticism of the fixture schedule in October, where Chelsea will play 13 matches in the month.
Potter said: “I can understand where he (Antonio Conte) is coming from."
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The head coach then continued to put a positive spin on the fixture schedule, admitting that he is looking forward to the matches.
He continued: "For me it’s positive.
"We haven’t played in a while.
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"Our group is a big group, they want to play. Bring it on.”
The Englishman will be hopeful of a positive result as Chelsea look to recover from a poor start to the season when they face Crystal Palace.
Topics: Chelsea, Graham Potter, Premier League, Football
Nick Emms