Matchday five of the Champions League. A draw guarantees passage to the knockout stages but a win should be enough to ensure us top place in the group.

 

Thoughts on the lineup?

 

I reckon we'll field

Cech

Ivanovic Terry Cahill Dave

Ramires Mikel

Schurrle Mata Hazard

Torres

A surprisingly comfortable victory

2-0 Chelsea

Torres & Schurrle.

I think we might see:

 

           Cech

 

Ivan - Cahill - Luiz - Dave

 

       Mikel - Ramires

 

Schurrle - Oscar - Hazard

 

              Eto'o

 

After this match we have 3 league matches in 7 days and seeing as we are pretty much in control of our Champions League group I think you might see JT and Lampard rested.

 

Luiz comes in to try and prove he still has something to offer after what has been a disappointing season from him so far. 

 

Schurrle has looked good in Europe, maybe due to being allowed a little more time and space when on the ball.

 

Eto'o to continue up front because I'm not sure Torres will be fit and Ba is very much third choice. 

Even if we lose this, a win against Steaua at home will see us top the group.

Some sweet revenge will do nicely thanks. Living abroad, the home game against them was the only Chelsea match I've been able to see this season at the Bridge so I'm pretty focused on this game.

Not sure what we have to do to get live coverage on ITV.

Its on SS2, le Arse are on terrestrial tv.

A first team squad of 21 players is flying to Basel this afternoon ahead of tomorrow's Champions League group stage game. Fernando Torres returns to the squad but David Luiz is out with a knee injury.

 

Torres has recovered from the adductor muscle injury which kept him out of the last three games but David Luiz has a bruised patella. He will be out for approximately one week, joining Marco van Ginkel as the only player missing from the squad list for the competition announced in September.

 

The travelling squad is:

Cech, Schwarzer, Blackman

 

Ivanovic, Cole, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Bertrand

 

Ramires, Lampard,  Mata, Oscar, Mikel, Schurrle, De Bruyne, Hazard, Willian 

 

Eto'o,Torres, Ba

Looking forward to the game against Basel. A win will assure us of topping the group.

Luiz is out with an injury and Torres is back in training.

Cech

Ivan Cahill Terry Azpili

Ramires Mikel

Willian Oscar Schurrle

Torres

-

 

On route to Basel. 

And another:

 

Cech

Azzi -- Luiz -- Cahill -- Cole

Lampard -- Mikel -- Ramires

Mata -- Torres -- Hazard

 

Luiz, Cole, Mata and Torres to return to the starting line up for me.

 

Ivanovic needs a little rest and Dave has been superb lately, he deserves a run out in his proper position.

 

I've gone for a 4-3-3.

 

Schurrle, Willian and De Bruyne to come on as subs.

If Chelsea win I think its defo top of the group with 1 match to go.

So with Southampton at home on the weekend will the manager rest a few or put out his strongest line up and get the victory done and dusted by 70 mins then sub off Oscar and a couple more.

I would personally like to see Mata start in # 10 and give SFL a day off as well, but think

Jose will start them both.

If neither Mata or De Bruyne play, there will be a mutiny.

If neither Mata or De Bruyne play, there will be a mutiny.

No there won't.

I think Mata will start this one, seeing how he didn't get any minutes against West Ham.

we will go full strength (or close) in this one, win this one and we could field a youth team for the last home match. Oscar could do with a rest, but I doubt more than 3 changes from the weekend.

Cech, Ivan, Cahill, Terry, Azpi, Rami, Mikel, Hazard, Mata, Schürrle, Torres

we will go full strength (or close) in this one, win this one and we could field a youth team for the last home match. Oscar could do with a rest, but I doubt more than 3 changes from the weekend.

 

We actually couldnt because they are not registered for the CL. It would still be a very strong team that would play against Steau. Sorry ill take my pedant hat off!

 

Jose is clearly looking to close the group tonight, expect our strongest team and the players looking to make up for what happened against Basel in September.

Good point. Then he can field a second string against Steaeu. I'd expect to see the likes of Schwarzer, Bertrand, Cesar, Essien, De Bruyne and Ba should it come to that.

Good point. Then he can field a second string against Steaeu. I'd expect to see the likes of Schwarzer, Bertrand, Cesar, Essien, De Bruyne and Ba should it come to that.

 

Won't be seeing Essien in the CL, I hope it pans out that we can field some players we haven't seen much of though.

According to BBC Radio 5 Live, a win will see us through to the knock out stages.

 

So will a draw, actually. They were too busy going on about their coverage of the Arsenal game tonight before they mentioned ours against Basel, in passing.

 

Luiz is injured and is not travelling. The usual back four then, with Azpi at left-back. Hopefully Schurrle will get a chance to show us his skills again, he looked sharp when he came on for Germany against England.

Having lost to them at home some of you seem to be oddly confident of an easy win away... 1-1 I reckon.

A resounding win tonight.

 

Jose's comments yesterday in the press conf were perfect. 4-0 win for the Chels.

 

2 goals from Torres

1 from Mata

1 from Terry

Having lost to them at home some of you seem to be oddly confident of an easy win away... 1-1 I reckon.

 

I think Jose underestimated them in the first game, choosing that game to over rotate the team and give players such as van Ginkel their first starts of the season.

 

The squad is more settled now and although I think we will see a couple of changes to the team that played against West Ham I think we will have more than enough quality to see them off.