Injury doubt Michael Essien has been passed fit and looks set to take over Michael Ballack's role in the fluid midfield.

That's because Juliano Belletti has been drafted into the team for the first time this season with a holding midfield position to be filled.

Nicolas Anelka will continue as lone striker in an otherwise unchanged side. Frank Lampard makes his 250th Premier League appearance for Chelsea and Carlo Cudicini returns from injury as the keeper on the bench.

Tottenham draft Giovani, their new-signing from Barcelona, into their team. He takes over from Aaron Lennon on the right wing. Chris Gunter replaces Benoit Assou-Ekotto at left-back. There is no Berbatov and Roman Pavlyuchenko has arrived from Russia too late to play.

Chelsea will line-up in a 4-1-4-1 formation as follows:

1 Petr Cech
2 José Bosingwa
6 Ricardo Carvalho
26 John Terry (c)
3 Ashley Cole
35 Juliano Belletti
20 Deco
5 Michael Essien
8 Frank Lampard
10 Joe Cole
39 Nicolas Anelka

Substitutes: 40 Hilario, 20 Paulo Ferreira, 18 Wayne Bridge, 33 Alex, 15 Florent Malouda 9 Franco Di Santo, 21 Salomon Kalou.

Tottenham are expected to line-up in the following 4-4-1-1 formation:

Gomes; Zokora, Woodgate, King (c), Gunter; Giovanni, Jenas, Modric, Bale; Bentley; Bent.

Subs not used: Cesar, Gilberto, Assou-Ekotto, Dawson, Huddlestone, O'Hara, Lennon.

The referee is Howard Webb.