CHAPPLE PLOTS DOWNFALL OF VIALLI'S INTERNATIONAL CHELSEA STARS.

Kingstonian play the first of three pre-season friendlies against Premiership opponents on Saturday.

Chelsea are the visitors at Kingsmeadow with a 6,000 sell-out crowd expected. And fans who flock to the game can expect to see stars even if the Blues' two French World Cup heroes - Marcel Desailly and Frank Leboeuf - are unlikely to appear just six days after victory against Brazil.

This summer Chelsea boss Gianluca Vialli has also signed Spanish World Cup player Albert Ferrer, Danish superstar Brian Laudrup and Pierluigi Casiraghi, left out of the Italian squad after playing a major role in his country's qualification for France 98.

Ks boss Geoff Chapple said: "This is the big one and it will probably be the biggest crowd we get this season. Chelsea will field a very strong side."

He warned Ks fans that players "could be a bit rusty" on Saturday because they will have had just five training sessions with new coach Ian McDonald before the game.

But Chapple described Saturday's fixture as "a good training exercise" which gives him a chance to run the rule over players who must step up to the Conference level after last season's double triumph.

The Ks' first ever game in the Conference - at home to Hereford on Saturday, August 15 - is just a month away. Their first five fixtures include clashes with title favourites Rushden & Diamonds tricky Yeovil from the West Country.

Chapple said Dave Leworthy and Eddie Akuamoah would lead the Ks line against Chelsea, although he may soon sign a third hitman.

Leworthy was top scorer last season with 34 goals but is now 34 years old and may need a rest at times during the year, according to Chapple.

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