Chelsea Dealt Injury Blow Ahead Of Schalke Clash

Chelsea have been dealt an injury blow with the news that striker Fernando Torres is set to miss Wednesday nights Champions League clash with Schalke because of a thigh injury, according to the Daily Mail.

The Spanish hitman has been rediscovering something like his best form in recent weeks and despite a below par display against Newcastle on Saturday, the striker has scored three goals in his last three games.

Torres was in-line to start against Schalke at Stamford Bridge tomorrow night but the Mail claim he pulled up in training on Monday with a thigh problem and will now sit out the crucial match against the Germans.

Samuel Eto’o – who has scored just once for the Blues since signing in the summer – is expected to replace Torres in attack for what could prove to be a defining game in determining how Group E shapes up.

The west Londoners currently sit level on six points with Schalke and FC Basel – who beat Chelsea at home on matchday 1 – are just two points behind, so defeat tomorrow for Mourinho’s men would leave things wide open and the Blues boss is aware of this fact, saying:

‘We are in a stable position to qualify in the Champions League but if we lose again we are in a difficult position, so Wednesday is an important game for us.’ Mourinho is quoted as saying by the Mail

Chelsea beat Schalke 3-0 last time out so should be confident of beating the Bundesliga outfit again on home soil. Should they secure all three points, it would leave the Premier League side in great shape to qualify for the knockout stages but it seems they’ll have to do it without Fernando Torres.

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