Chelsea vs QPR: Preview, Team News, Likely Line-ups & Predicted Score

Chelsea get back to domestic action when take on West London rivals Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.

Roberto Di Matteo’s side will still be on a high following their sensational 3-2 aggregate victory over Barcelona on Tuesday, and welcome a QPR side who are fighting for their lives at the foot of the table.

The Premier League have decided to suspend the pre-match handshake for the game due to the on-going legal case involving John Terry and Anton Ferdinand.

Team News

Roberto Di Matteo has a defensive crisis heading into the game with both Gary Cahill and David Luiz ruled out with hamstring strains, while Branislav Ivanovic sits out the final game of his three-match ban.

This means John Terry is the Blues only available centre back, with Jose Bosingwa expected to deputise in the middle with Paulo Ferreira coming in on the right.

Di Matteo is likely to rotate his squad after Tuesday’s heroics and with next weekends FA Cup on the horizon, with Torres, Essien and Sturridge in line for recalls.

Mark Hughes should be able to call upon the services of Djibril Cisse and Clint Hill, who have both recovered from minor knocks. However, Samba Diakite is likely to miss out while Adel Taarabt is also out through suspension after seeing red last weekend against Tottenham.

Likely Line-ups

Predicted Score

Queens Park Rangers have a terrible away record this season, picking up only 11 points on their travels, which is the lowest tally in the Premier League this season. Chelsea will be high on confidence after their Champions League exploits and we fully expect the home side to win this one. Chelsea 2-0 QPR.

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