Stage three of our Stateside pre-season tour will be in Baltimore, where AC Milan are our familiar friendly opponents on July 24.

Not too much homework should be required when we take on the Italian giants in Maryland, such is the level of connection between the two clubs in recent times.

New manager Carlo Ancelotti arrived directly from the San Siro and begins work with us today, while his assistant Ray Wilkins played in the Rossoneri midfield for three years in the 1980s.

In addition, we have played them four times in warm-up games in recent years, including in last year's Russian Railways Cup, held in Moscow.

On that day Nicolas Anelka helped himself to four goals in a 5-0 win, though it must be said we were a lot further along in our preparations than our opponents, whose Serie A campaign kicked off later than England's Premier League.

In August 2004 we met in Philadelphia, losing out 3-2 in front of nearly 40,000 supporters. Didier Drogba netted during his first start in a Chelsea shirt while Eidur Gudjohnsen also found the target.

Hernán Crespo (on loan from us) and Andriy Shevchenko both played for Milan on that occasion, Sheva scoring the winner with a free-kick.

A year later we faced Milan twice, beating them 1-0 in Foxborough, Massachusetts thanks to an Arjen Robben strike before we shared a 1-1 draw in the Giants' Stadium in New Jersey, with Drogba again on the scoresheet.

On each of those occasions Ancelotti was in the opposition's technical area but now he is on our side, and will be looking for a result against his former club.

This year we meet on the east coast in Baltimore for the second game in the World Football Challenge, at the 71,000 capacity M&T Bank Stadium.

Built in 1998, it is a completely open stadium with an artificial playing surface, and featured heavily in the film The Replacements, starring Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman and about a fictional American Football team.

A piano factory that was formally located on the site is remembered by a mosaic of piano keys outside.

Once again it is likely to be very hot when the Blues step out onto the field, average temperatures in July can reach 33C, with high humidity often leading to afternoon thunderstorms.

Baltimore is a city made famous in the UK by police series The Wire, but with plenty more to offer its visitors than this gritty drama suggests.

The Inner Harbour (main picture) is lined with attractions and restaurants, as well as a number of museums and historic ships.

Elsewhere there is sport aplenty, as the city is home to the Baltimore Orioles (baseball) and the Baltimore Ravens (American Football), the latter of whom play at the M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore is also the birthplace of baseball legend Babe Ruth, author Tom Clancy, actor David Hasselhoff and chat show host Oprah Winfrey.

Who knows whether she will be at the game, but there will surely be plenty to talk about when we arrive in town, following our stay in Los Angeles.

After the AC Milan game we head to Dallas, Texas for the final leg of the tour. Details on that part of the trip will follow later in the week on chelseafc.com.

More information is available on the World Football Challenge, while for more information on ticket availability in pre-season, click here.