Chelsea vs. Everton

[Lofty]

From BBC Sport

Chelsea will be WITHOUT Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben and Scott Sinclair for the game.

Midfielder Frank Lampard and goalkeeper Petr Cech, who were rested against Manchester United, should return.

Everton striker Andrew Johnson will have a late fitness test but his injured ankle is unlikely to be risked.

Teenage strikers James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe are likely to continue up front in an unchanged side.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Drogba, Hilario, Geremi, Ferreira, Terry, Essien, A Cole, Bridge, Morais, Obi, Diarra, Makelele, Lampard, Kalou, Wright-Phillips, J Cole, Sahar, Hutchinson, Sawyer.

Everton (from): Howard, Neville, Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott, Arteta, Carsley, Osman, Fernandes, Vaughan, Anichebe, Turner, Naysmith, Beattie, McFadden, Hibbert, Van der Meyde, De Franca, Vidarsson, Valente.

Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-1

EDIT: Updated squad listings.

[Tim W]

Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-1

f**k me the boy's gone wild

[Maksimov]

Chelsea will be Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben and Scott Sinclair for the game.

Ok, it's a meaningless game when it comes to Premiership standings and we probably want to rest some players for the big cup final, but to field just six players who are more or less injured and to play without a goalkeeper? Come on!

[Lofty]

Pre-match briefing on the Official Site by Rick Glanvill and Paul Dutton

EDIT: I was going to copy the whole lot because the official site is so slow to load, but it's a bit long so didn't.

[Maksimov]

Jose Driven by Record Chance

Mourinho's desire to equal the record is not likely to stop him from selecting a young side, with Scott Sinclair and Ben Sahar both in the running to play following their appearances against Manchester United in midweek.

Maybe the hacks at Sky should swap notes sometimes(Savage Blow for Sinclair)

[Lofty]

Chelsea will be Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben and Scott Sinclair for the game.

Ok, it's a meaningless game when it comes to Premiership standings and we probably want to rest some players for the big cup final, but to field just six players who are more or less injured and to play without a goalkeeper? Come on!

Lofty wrote? I only wrote wot the idiot BBC wrote

Chelsea will be without Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben and Scott Sinclair for the game.

That's ALSO copied directly from BBC Sport, but more recently. Seems you're not the only one who'd noticed.

P.S. I hear the BBC are looking for proofreaders.

[Paul_Seery]

Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-1

F*** me the boy's gone wild

In what way?

Its just that I have not come accross his predictions before and was just curious.......

[Lofty]

From Sky Sports News:

Didier Drogba returns from ankle injury to face Everton tomorrow.

And hopefully he'll stay fit for the Cup Final.

[Gem]

Robben has a good chance of being fit too I heard. He may have glass legs, but when he's got defenders on the back foot and he doesn't end up in his backside, he is a threat.

Hopefully after two seasons of averageness [due mainly to injury to be fair], next season will be HIS season, just ban him from playing with Holland.

[Maksimov]

I hear the BBC are looking for proofreaders.

I wonder if they pay well.

[mbh]

Mark Lawrenson's prediction: 2-1

F*** me the boy's gone wild

In what way?

Its just that I have not come accross his predictions before and was just curious.......

2-0 it is always 2-0.

[Tim W]

That's right, he's predicted 60 games as 2-0 victories why change

[ossie13]

I see Sam Hutchinson & Ian Sawyer have been included in the squad, so it could be like the last 2 seasons one or both may get 10/15 mins at the end?

[Gem]

Only if we've got a 2 goal or more cushion, don't want the unbeaten home game run to end before we've well and truely smash the record just so a couple of kids can play [i am usually all for youth/reserves players playing more games nut not at home at the moment ]

[undertow]

i think hutchinson should start so essien can play in the midfield.

and ossie, sawyer's first name is lee ;)

[Maksimov]

Chelsea will line-up in a 4-3-3 formation as follows:

1 Petr Cech

20 Paulo Ferreira

9 Khalid Boulahrouz

26 John Terry ©

18 Wayne Bridge

24 Shaun Wright-Phillips

12 Mikel John Obi

8 Frank Lampard

10 Joe Cole

11 Didier Drogba

21 Salomon Kalou

Substitutes: 40 Hilario, 51 Sam Hutchinson, 33 Nuno Morais, 50 Lee Sawyer, 47 Ben Sahar.

So...Ashley Cole will play in the FA Cup final. I reckon that if we're leading at half time, Drogba will be taken off and Sahar will come to take his place. Nuno Morais will probably get his farewell appearance too.

[Gem]

Part of me is glad we've fielded a strong side, the other part is worried about FA Cup final fittness/injuries.

I thought Morais had left? Or have I got the wrong one?

[Maksimov]

I thought Morais had left? Or have I got the wrong one?

Morais will move after the season is over.

[Gem]

Ahh got it. So we'll get to see him for another 2 minutes today.

[Maksimov]

From the Beeb:

EVERTON

* 24 Howard

* 02 Hibbert

* 04 Yobo

* 15 Stubbs

* 16 Lescott

* 21 Osman

* 37 Fernandes

* 18 Neville

* 26 Carsley

* 06 Arteta

* 22 Vaughan

Substitutes

* 13 Turner,

* 03 Naysmith,

* 09 Beattie,

* 11 McFadden,

* 19 Nuno Valente

[undertow]

boula?

doesn't a straight red mean a 3 match suspension?

[Guest Brian M]

boula?

doesn't a straight red mean a 3 match suspension?

We can only hope so! That way we can sell him in the summer and never have to see him in a blue shirt again. He worries me more than Huth did. They both of them give away far too many free kicks around the D due to their lack of positional sense and speed.

But then, that's what you get when you buy a central defender just because they're big and angry looking.

Well, that may be enough against the also-rans, but against the bigger teams, it's just a recipe for disaster.

[Mod]

Theres folk in match chat if anyones interested?

[mad_mac]

Came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw and keep the unbeaten streak alive. See Manure lost today too which means the hammers stay up!!!

I think both teams can be accused of looking to next weeks game

Scott

[Gem]

Just glad we haven't lost the unbeaten home record, would love to break it.