Champions League football is back at Stamford Bridge this week – but Chelsea won’t be involved.Instead, the Blues‘ home is being used by Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk, who continue their Champions League campaign against AEK Athens on Wednesday.Chelsea have agreed for Shakhtar to play their home Champions League games at Stamford Bridge this seasonGettyWhy are Shakhtar Donetsk playing at Stamford Bridge?Shakhtar have been unable to play at their own ground, the Donbas Arena, since 2024 due to conflict in the region.And while they still play domestic games in Ukraine, basing themselves in the western city of Lviv, they’ve led a more nomadic existence in continental competition.Stamford Bridge becomes their latest temporary home for European fixtures after stints in Poland, Germany and Slovenia.Explaining the move, Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin said: “We decided: let’s move to England. There are a lot of Ukrainian refugees and a lot of Ukrainians living here.“London is the football capital of the world. It’s the biggest marketplace for players.“For our young players to play at this level in a legendary stadium like Stamford Bridge provides extra motivation and can bring positive results.“I first contacted [Chelsea co-owner] Behdad Eghbali and said: ‘What do you think about this idea – playing Champions League matches in your stadium?’“The reaction was positive. Step by step, it became a reality. Chelsea were very professional.”Chelsea were one of three Premier League clubs who held talks with Shakhtar about staging their home Champions League games.Former Barcelona and Turkey midfielder Arda Turan is the man in charge of ShakhtarGettyShakhtar, who are managed by Turkey legend Arda Turan, kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw away to PSV Eindhoven.Are Chelsea in Europe this season?Chelsea are not playing in any European competition this season.The Blues missed out on qualification after a disappointing 10th-placed finish in the Premier League last term.However, a whopping nine Premier League clubs are in Europe this campaign.Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool all qualified for the Champions League.Meanwhile, Bournemouth are in Europe for the first time ever, taking part in the Europa League alongside Sunderland and Crystal Palace.And Brighton qualified for the Conference League, where they’ll begin their campaign against Lithuania’s Kauno Zalgiris on Thursday.