Our last 3pm Saturday home KO of the season.

Alex should be back, we need him ready for next Tuesday, so he needs to start Saturday.

Benayoun needs a game, maybe he can be considered for Tuesday if he has a good game Saturday.

Kalou deserves a chance, and if he plays well Saturday I would put him up front Tuesday night.

Rest Essien, Lampard, Bosingwa (for the season), and Drogba.

----------------------Cech----------------------

Ivan--------Alex----------Terry-------Cole

----------------------Mikel

-----Ramires------------------Malouda-----

----Benayoun------------------Torres-----

--------------------Kalou--------------------

Edited April 7, 201115 yr by coco

I personally do not follow the addiction some people have on this forum with Benayoun. Was hardly anything special at Liverpool, had his moments but was just a poor mans Joe Cole. But apart from that i agree with you on the rest of the team, maybe rest Ivan/Terry and play Luiz. Might aswell considering he cant play in the UCL. And Torres behind Kalou, say what lad?

For the upcoming game against Wigan Carlo should rest Lamps and Terry as we need them fresh and fit for the return leg against Man Utd. I believe Alex and Benayoun should be given the nod to start. Yossi is the one player who can create chances and gel with Torres. I would like to replace the 4-4-2 with with the 4-3-3 formation.

Cech

Ivan Alex Luiz Cole

Ramires Mikel Benayoun

Kalou Drogba Torres

I agree with resting players, but part of me feels we need to put out our strongest lineup to get them playing as a team and to instill some confidence ahead of next Tuesday. That said, would a convincing win with the likes of Mikel and Kalou given a chance, put them in the frame for Old Trafford?

Rest Terry and Lampard.

I would play this, give the Mikel, Essien and Ramires midfield thats been awful if i remember correctly a chance again.

-------------------Cech

---Ivan-------Alex--Luiz--------Cole

------------------Mikel

-----------Essien------Ramires

----Benayoun-------------------Kalou

-----------------Torres

Let Malouda/Zhirkov come on around 60th and get some gametime same goes for drogs/anelka and bosingwa.

Edited April 7, 201115 yr by Andreas

I think whoever starts against Wigan up top won't start against Utd on tuesday.

I think whoever starts against Wigan up top won't start against Utd on tuesday.

And if Kalou scores 5 goals Saturday?

GK

Luiz Alex JT Zhirkov

Rameries Mikel Lampard

Yossi Torres Kalou

If Alex and Yossi aren't fit, we may have to play them off the bench. We can't take too much liberty with match like this, after all Wigan has the ability to score 1 or 2. Torres has to score if he wants to play on Tuesday, I hope Carlo give him the 90 minutes to do it.

I would go for any attacking formation that we are going to use at OT. 4-3-3 started working immediately against MU so lets try that.

Torres upfront with Kalou on right and Zhirkov/Malouda on left. Get Torres that first goal and MU can start focusing on him.

Bossy can play as we shouldn't let him near OT. Ivan can handle MU game.

I would like us to see a 4-2-3-1 formation tried with Torres as the lone striker ...

---- Paulo ----- Alex ------ Luiz ------- Zhirkov

--------------- Mikel --------------- Ramires --------

Anelka ------------- Benayoun ------- Kalou-----

------------------ Torres -------------------------------

According to me . We must rest Terry , Ivan , Acole and Drogba for the Man Utd game . This is not to take Wigan lightly bu going forward , this formation should work for us as it is flexible and gives freedom to our attacking players.

I' m a very big of lampard and essien but seeing them labour and struggle for the past 2-3 months , I believe it is time to drop them from the starting line up and start with other players who deserve a decent chance as well . I' m hoping Benayoun comes good and provides spark to our midfield .

And if Kalou scores 5 goals Saturday?

That's got to ne a very big IF!

Liking the idea of Benayoun, Torres (as the focal point) and Kalou as the front three.

Think this match would have been ideal to give Josh his full debut but as the youth cup semi final is on Sunday I don't expect he will be involved.

I would therefore go:

-------------------Cech

---Essien-------Alex--Luiz--------Cole

------Benayoun-------Mikel---------Ramires

----Anelka-------------------------Kalou

-----------------Torres

Playing for pride and to cement our top 4 position now. Anything but a comprehensive victory will be a bitter disappointment here.

I agree with resting players, but part of me feels we need to put out our strongest lineup to get them playing as a team and to instill some confidence ahead of next Tuesday. That said, would a convincing win with the likes of Mikel and Kalou given a chance, put them in the frame for Old Trafford?

I tend to agree. A lot of players have missed big chunks of the season. There's no particular reason they should be too tired. It's far more important that we settle on a formation and line up and stick with it. I'm sure that all the chopping and changing up front is hurting rather than helping us.

Cech

Ivanovic-Luiz-Alex-Cole

Mikel

Ramires Yossi

Anelka Kalou

Torres

As others have said play Alex, we need him next Tuesday..I'd play Yossi in midfield just for a bit of creation-Essien, Lampard and Ramires seem to lack any ideas apart from sideways passing, and running in straight lines at the defence. Anelka and Kalou have had few chances considering they're in better form than Malouda/Torres/Drogba, and I'd start Torres purely for the reason that if he can't score at home vs Wigan, he doesn't deserve to start the 2nd leg.

With City breathing down our necks we cannot afford to drop points here. Torres play or drop ?? Start him with Anelka , and id agree with Josh being given a start , creative and gives himself time on the ball .

It will be my first match on Stamford Bridge so I have a question. Is it possible to take SLR camera on the stadium?

Alex has been confirmed as a sub.

http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~2334110,00.html

If only he had been fit a week earlier. Strongest defence line up for us is Ivan - Alex - Terry - Cole.

It is so important that this game is not treated as a none event while we focus on Tuesday. After all, the odds are that we will exit the european cup against Utd (I hate to say) and finishing in the top 4 (and probably even 3rd to avoid qualification games) is essential to the club. That is not to say we should right off Tuesday of course, but just not forget that City, Spurs and Arsenal won't allow us a free birth in the top 4.

I'd definitely give Torres the full 90 mins, as at home to Wigan on a warm sunny afternoon is as good a setting as he's likely to get to score a goal for us. And I'd start Yossi as it's worth a shot at seeing if he can get Torres going.

One other thing; when players are back from injury and are considered fit enough to play some football, why don't they start? Surely that way you can get a better idea of their fitness while still having the choice of replacing them should they tire or suffer a setback. You never know, Yossi might start and play a blinder for 60 minutes scoring 1 and making 2 (for Torres!). But bringing a returning player on with 15 to go when the game is either already over or in a precarious state can't be good for them or the team.

I'm in two minds about this one. On the one hand we could use these 90 minutes to run out with our 4-3-3 again. However, if we are to rest people for Tuesday, then that kind of preparation would be redundant.

On the other hand, we need goals and the confidence those goals inspire. In addition, Wigan are bottom and their defensive record is weak. With that in mind, I wouldn't be entirely opposed to going for the jugular and playing the 4-4-2 (as far as I'm aware Wigan usually field a 4-2-3-1). However the problem then is who to rest and who to keep in the team... do Drogba, Essien, Ramires, Lampard and Cole need to be rested? Will Alex start or come in off the bench? Will Ancelotti drop Bosingwa?

Some players need a rest ,some need game time, some need to take a back seat for a bit.

Players that should be rested Saturday and penciled in to start Tuesday: Terry, Ivanovic, Ramires, Lampard, Cole.

Players that should start Saturday: Alex, Luiz, Ferreira, Benayoun, Kalou, Zhirkov, Essien, Mikel, Anelka, Torres.

Players that should be rested to the bench for Saturday and Tuesday: Bosingwa, Drogba, Malouda.

Guess who's back...

LINK

Cech

Cole

Luiz

Alex

Ferreira

Mikel

Essien

McEachran

Anelka

Torres

Zhirkov

I would be tempted to go

Cech

Bos-Luiz-Alex-Cole

Mikel-Ram

Kalou-Yossi-Zirkov

Torres

See of Yossi can be the man that does what gerrard did for torres everytime at liverpool and just put it on a plate for him.