Filan And Wigan Get Chelsea First Up

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Australian goalkeeper John Filan could not have wished for a more daunting task in his first match back in the English Premier League, when the newly promoted Wigan Athletic host defending EPL champions Chelsea.

Australian goalkeeper John Filan could not have wished for a more daunting task in his first match back in the English Premier League, when the newly promoted Wigan Athletic host defending EPL champions Chelsea.

Filan (pictured right), who last played in the EPL with his previous club Blackburn Rovers in 2000-01, faces a tough initiation back in the big league against a Chelsea side that is expected to be even stronger compared to last season-s record breaking squad.

The veteran goalkeeper has been a mainstay between the sticks for Wigan since transferring during the 2001-02 season and was one of the main reasons behind Wigan-s promotion to the EPL for the first time in its brief history.

Among the other Australian-s in the EPL, Tim Cahill and his Everton teammates will start with a tough first up home match against Manchester United.

Middlesbrough with Mark Schwarzer and Mark Viduka (although fresh speculation is that he is headed for Newcastle United) will face European Champions Liverpool, including hopefully a fit again Harry Kewell.

Ahmad Elrich will hopefully come face-to-face with his Qantas Socceroo teammate Stan Lazaridis with Fulham at home against Birmingham City.

Meanwhile Blackburn Rovers duo Brett Emerton and Lucas Neill will play promotion play-off winners West Ham.