Probable Lineups
Probable Lineups Statistical Comparison
* Values in brackets (x) are overall player statistics in Premier League.
Missing Players
Stoke
Chelsea
Player | Reason | Status | Rating |
---|---|---|---|
Peter Odemwingie | Out | 6.48 | |
Victor Moses | Out | 7.45 | |
Steve Sidwell | Out | 6.29 | |
Marc Muniesa | Out | 6.97 | |
Bojan | Doubtful | 7.16 | |
Stephen Ireland | Doubtful | 6.53 |
Player | Reason | Status | Rating |
---|---|---|---|
Kurt Zouma | Out | 6.6 |
Team News
Stoke
Chelsea
- Mark Hughes is sweating on the fitness of Bojan after he was forced off against Crystal Palace at the weekend. The Spaniard will be given every possible opportunity to prove he is available for the welcome of Chelsea.
- Stephen Ireland is also a doubt and will be assessed closer to kick off.
- However, Hughes will be without quartet Peter Odemwingie, Victor Moses, Steve Sidwell and Marc Muniesa due to injury.
- Kurt Zouma suffered a nasty head injury in the win over Derby, but is available for this one, as is Didier Drogba.
- Nathan Ake remains sidelined and is Jose Mourinho's only concern.
- Thibaut Courtois is available following injury and could replace Petr Cech in between the sticks, while Cesc Fabregas will start alongside Nemanja Matic in midfield.
Between £40-50m I reckon.
do you think Eden is better than Gareth for Los Galacticos Jersey? 80mil for Gareth? how much for Eden?
@spartacuz CR + 40m at least :D
clean sheet at stoke , great result . @ferit22 we did it on a cold night in stoke .
@Jonty- I didn't expect anything different, cold or not. Stoke can only score against the top teams 2 ways- long ball to a target man to either get a chance themselves or knock it down to an arriving player or on the counter- which is true of every team in the prem if you defend too high and attack with the wing backs 3 quarters of the way down the pitch. Chelsea, since the early part of the season when Leicester, Swansea and Burnely were able to fashion chances against them which were most un-Chelsea-like have kept it solid at the back- compact and defending at the right distance when attacking, like it was in Mourinho's first spell, so the counter attack is for the most part taken away and have 2 centre backs, and to be fair also 2 full backs, who don't mind contesting such balls. Their 3rd option was let Bojan try and work his magic which is impossible when the supporting cast is mediocre.
@Jonty what a solid performance. Especially from Matic! Hazard needs to step up his game when we are playing away from home.
Tell you what , on a Crap side Bojan is MAGIC!!!
Nemanja Matic is immense! Would easily walk in to any team in the world!
@khonda- That's cos he's a dying breed. Everyone needs a clean-up midfielder who can pass to the more gifted passers but it seems the 1 position that has a severe lack of numbers. I expect within the next few seasons, at least 10 players of his type to be floating around the big teams of Europe. It's definitely a player us (Arsenal), Man Utd and Man City could all do with although with Fernandinho playing, City are ok in that department. Matic on his own, and players of his type, wont make a difference to a team that doesn't already contain gifted playmakers because that's not his forte, but adding him to a midfield which has a gifted passer, gifted dribbler and gifted mover allows the latter 3 to do their thing without worrying what's going on behind em. It's an invaluable part of the midfield jigsaw puzzle. Matic isn't the only 1 but he's the best of those that there are.
@SteveHyland Vidal??
@Mattia Vidal isn't as strong defensivly. Vidal is a advanced box to box midfielder. Matic is a ball winning midfielder. He is 190 tall and will win every tackle. The only other player that is at his level is probably Javi Martinez.
@SteveHyland I must say that's the real truth 100% uncovered. I had it 2:1 final score and I am pissed off why did I even think that Stoke can score a goal. They just couldn't. Nice overview
the results of the last 3 away games seem not so good for chelsea, 3-2 victory over the arsenal in the last month was a proof that Stoke City won't be easily defeated at the Britannia Stadium. final scores 0-0 or 1-1 would be fair enough for both team. because he's Mourinho, not Ancelotti.. LOL
@spartacuz a new madrid fanboy , what a surprise .
chelsea will lose tonight
@innovation98 chelsea will win tonight
@innovation98 next joke plz.
can we do it on a cold night at stoke? Hope so. City looking scary.
Chelsea by 1 goal difference most likely, agreed