Chelsea will be without Ashley Cole and Fernando Torres for tomorrow afternoon’s visit of Cardiff City.
Cole hasn’t been able to shake of the rib injury that kept him out of England’s two recent World Cup qualifiers , while Torres remains absent from training after straining knee ligaments.
Germany forward Andre Schurrle may be handed a start after impressing for Germany in their wins against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech will make his 300th Premier League appearance for the club, a feat previously achieved by John Terry and Frank Lampard.
The Blues will return to the top of the division if they better the results of Liverpool and Arsenal, while defeat could see them slip as far down as seventh place depending on other results.
This is the first league meeting between the sides in almost twenty years, though the Blues ran out 4-1 winners when they faced each other in a FA Cup match back in 2010.
Cardiff currently sit in fourteenth place having lost two of their last three games.
Their preparation for the game has been overshadowed by the departure of the clubs Head of Recruitment Ian Moody earlier in the week.