LONDON (Sporting Alert) — Rafa Benitez has decided to continue his rotation with the Chelsea squad by leaving John Terry and Fernando Torres on the bench for today’s Barclays Premier League clash with West Brom at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea v West Bromwich Live Score Updates
Skipper Terry, who started against Middlesbrough in the 2-0 FA Cup win on the road in midweek, returns to the bench, as does striker Torres, who had also started in that victory.
Midfielder Frank Lampard, who missed a vital penalty kick in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last Sunday takes the armband and will move equal with John Hollins into third place in the club’s highest number of appearances. This will be Lampard’s 592.
Spanish playmaker Juan Mata will make his 100th appearance for Chelsea, while Eden Hazard, Oscar, Demba Ba, 4. David Luiz and Ashley Cole all start as well.
Meanwhile, West Bromwich striker Romelu Lukaku is ineligible to face his parent club, but striker Shane Long, who limped off against the Sunderland is in the starting side.
Forward Peter Odemwingie is also on the subs bench.
Chelsea v West Bromwich Starters
Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Ba
Chelsea Subs: Turnbull, Torres, Mikel, Moses, Cahill, Terry, Bertrand
West Brom: Foster, Reid, Olsson, McAuley, Ridgewell, Yacob, Mulumbu, Morrison, Dorrans, Fortune, Long
West Brom Subs: Myhill, Rosenberg, Thomas, Odemwingie, Jones, Tamas, Isaiah Brown
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
