PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V SWANSEA CITY
Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton conclude their prelude to tonight's cup encounter…
TACTICAL BRIEF
Chelsea aim to take an advantage to south Wales in two weeks' time. We look at how they might make that happen tonight.
Key battles
Demba Ba impressed in the game at Southampton and not just when hitting the net himself - he was in frame when each goal was scored, an indication of the hunger and bravery Chelsea have acquired with him.
The aerial threat of the 6ft 2in striker allows Chelsea to consider crossing the ball more than has been the case this season, and interim boss Rafael Benitez must hope the new striker's instant impact will inspire Fernando Torres to greater heights too.
The Spaniard scored a fine opening goal against Swansea in the 4-1 league win here at the Bridge last season, but was dismissed 10 minutes later for a dangerous tackle.
Michael Laudrup's side tend not to pass the ball out from the back as dogmatically as under predecessor Brendan Rodgers but the rearguard remains the weak link in their team.
Chico is a wily and intelligent defender but he likes to rove forward creating gaps in their centre. Angel Rangel is a combative right-back who could cause problems down Chelsea's left, though he is not the most disciplined - and is the Swans' most cautioned player this season.
Neither side is likely to field their first-choice keeper. Petr Cech remains sidelined and Gerhard Tremmel, 34, has been preferred to Michel Vorm in every round of the Capital One Cup so far.
Fatigue might be an issue in this tie after a gruelling festive period. Arsenal almost turned the FA Cup game at the Liberty Stadium around after a spell when Swansea began defending deeper, lost battles for the second ball and made basic technical errors.
However, Chelsea's recent schedule has been even more testing and Benitez rested one or two players at Southampton.
Laudrup drafted in Dwight Tiendalli, Kyle Bartley, Nathan Dyer, Sung-Yong Ki on Sunday. Star striker Michu (pictured below) began the afternoon on the bench. Their top scorer duly opened the scoring two minutes after coming on, from a Danny Graham lay-off. Graham had all the time in the world to fire Swansea's later equaliser.
The arrival of Michu has facilitated the biggest changes under Laudrup from the previous regime. They can play more directly than before and the Danish manager does not ask his wide men to hug the flanks as rigidly. Their style relies on incisive through-balls to the frontmen and Chelsea's central midfield pair will have to work hard to stifle that supply line.
Swansea have won three of their last five away league matches; Chelsea's distinctly mixed recent performances on the Fulham Road include an 8-0 victory and a 0-1 defeat.
QPR achieved the latter through 10-man defending and a wonderful strike by ex-Blue Shaun Wright-Phillips. Equal responsibility for the setback could be laid at the feet of the Chelsea team, who started with a lack of intensity and energy, rallied too late but could not hit the net with any of 23 shots.
Of concern to Benitez will be that his side has conceded first the last three matches. However, he knows that Swansea have yet to encounter the full force of the Blues' attacking threat from midfield this season - David Luiz and in-form Juan Mata both missed our 1-1 draw in November. Both may have a crucial role to play tonight.
Squad fitness news
Petr Cech (thigh) and John Terry (knee), plus long-term absentee Oriol Romeu, are the players unavailable through injury for Chelsea.
There are no reported injury concerns for Swansea.
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