Reigning European champion Chelsea will have its first experience of the new reality as it travels Lille for a UEFA Champions League return tie Wednesday.

Thomas Tuchel's side, defending a two-goal lead from Stamford Bridge, will see much intrigued for off-field reasons, as well as what happens on the pitch.

However, what looks like a routine match could be anything but as Tuchel's team prepare to travel away for the first time since Russian owner Roman Abramovich had his assets frozen as part of U.K. government sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.

Chelsea is officially restricted to spending just 20,000 pounds ($26,100) on away games, though media reports suggest some flexibility could be applied.

"Nothing has changed so far for me," Tuchel said after Sunday's 1-0 win over Newcastle. "My last information is that we have a plane so we can go by plane and go back by plane.

"If not we go by train, if not we go by bus, if not I drive a seven-seater and I will do it.

"There are some talks going on about the organization but it does not influence me because we have brilliant guys who organize the travel and in every department so committed people that make things feel pretty normal in the moment."

Chelsea would ordinarily see little difficulty in progressing past Lille, who is a modest sixth in the table after last year's shock Ligue 1 triumph.

But it was flat against Newcastle, amid uncertainty over the future of some players whose expiring contracts cannot be renewed, and only a late moment of Kai Havertz magic won it the game.

Lille, on the other hand, is the defending French champion and is starting to defend like it did last season. The only time coach Jocelyn Gourvennec's side has conceded a goal in the past six games was against Chelsea.

However, apart from one heavy win against promoted side Clermont, scoring has proved more problematic.

Top scorer Jonathan David is still short of his best form and midfield creator Renato Sanches is out after limping off Friday with a thigh injury.

Juve on the up

Chelsea is the only side defending a lead this week with Juventus resuming in Turin at the same time 1-1 with Villarreal.

Juve is the last Italian team still standing in the Champions League and is desperate to avoid a third successive last-16 elimination.

But it is a team on the up, heading into Wednesday's clash at the Allianz Stadium on the crest of a wave as its long run without defeat in the league has taken it to the edge of Italy's title race.

A dreadful start to the season left returning coach Massimiliano Allegri with a huge task to make something of the campaign, but since late November Juve has only lost once in all competitions.

Its single defeat in the last 21 fixtures came in the Italian Super Cup back in mid-January, a largely unimportant match even if losing any game to fierce rivals Inter Milan is painful for Juve.

That run has taken Juve to within seven points of league leaders AC Milan and made them firm favorites to requalify for the Champions League next season.

Juve sits fourth and has an eight-point advantage over fifth-placed Atalanta, a situation which before Christmas would have sounded like a pipe dream.

The Bianconeri are hoping that three of its top players return for the match in Turin. Captain Giorgio Chiellini, fellow defender Leonardo Bonucci and forward Paulo Dybala have been out – part of a long injury list that also includes long-term absences for Federico Chiesa and Weston McKennie.

"We’re facing a strong team but we need to go for it and we can do it, maybe even over 120 minutes," coach Allegri said.

If the match goes to penalties, Juventus can count on the recent form of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who has saved three straight penalties in Serie A – the first to achieve that feat in four years.

Villarreal, in the meantime, maybe without key players because of injuries, including Raul Albiol, Etienne Capoue, Gerard Moreno and Juan Foyth.