Salomon Kalou is back in the starting line-up and will play on the left of an attack with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

Michael Ballack is out injured so Florent Malouda drops deeper into midfield with Frank Lampard moving to the right. Paulo Ferreira replaces Yury Zhirkov at left-back and Ross Turnbull starts his third game in a row in goal.

Jan Sebek, a 19-year-old Czech goalkeeper from the reserve team squad, is on the bench for the first time.

Blackburn make two changes in defence, Phil Jones coming in at centre-back and Martin Olsson dropping from midfield to left-back. El-Hadji Diouf comes in wide on the right of midfield.

Chelsea are expected to line up in the following 4-3-2-1 formation:

22 Ross Turnbull
2 Branislav Ivanovic
33 Alex
26 John Terry (c)
19 Paulo Ferreira
8 Frank Lampard
12 John Mikel Obi
15 Florent Malouda
39 Nicolas Anelka
21 Salomon Kalou
11 Didier Drogba

Substitutes: 50 Jan Sebek, 43 Jefrrey Bruma, 18 Yury Zhirkov, 24 Nemanja Matic, 10 Joe Cole, 20 Deco, 23 Daniel Sturridge.

Blackburn are expected to line up in the following 4-5-1 formation:

Brown; Salgado, Samba (c), Jones, Olsson; Diouf, Dunn, N'Zonzi, Andrews, Pedersen; Kalinić.

Substitutes: Bunn, Jacobsen, Chimbonda, Hoilett, Linganzi, Emerton, Roberts.

The referee is Steve Bennett.

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