PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V SOUTHAMPTON - PART ONE
The countdown to our game in hand continues as club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton complete their regular match preview…
TACTICAL BRIEF
Our one-sided recent FA Cup match-up should serve as a warning to Southampton and an inspiration to hosts Chelsea. Here's where the game may be won or lost.
Key battles
Former Chelsea Academy man Jack Cork played at right-back for the Saints in the cup, but is more likely to figure in a more familiar midfield role tonight. He is not blessed with great pace and found the Blues' left side hot to handle in the 5-1 victory.
While regular full-back Nathaniel Clyne should start, the visitors could be missing two important figures at the back in Luke Shaw and José Fonte, who was stretchered off during our last meeting, as well as skipper Adam Lallana.
Seventeen-year-old left-back Shaw, the latest wonder kid from the Saints' Academy, is expected to commit his long-term future to the south coast but limped away from their win at Villa Park with a gashed knee.
Chelsea will also be missing personnel, notably Victor Moses, scorer of the sharp second goal that confirmed the shift of momentum at St Mary's. Frank Lampard has scored seven goals in eight league starts but with Arsenal looming at the weekend and Swansea the following Wednesday, he may be excused full involvement in this fixture.
The Saints will hope to catch the Londoners in the same malaise as in the first half of the cup game - sloppy possession and lazy defending allowing Jason Puncheon (pictured below) to thread a pass for Jay Rodriguez - he of the weekend penalty controversy - to slide home. The similarities to goals by Swansea and QPR at the Bridge are obvious.
In both recent home defeats Chelsea squandered enough chances early on to open a lead and change the way of the match, encouraging opponents to come out and attack.
Rafael Benitez may feel inclined to risk starting with as many creative players as he can, even in deep-lying midfield roles. Perhaps he is considering playing both Demba Ba and Fernando Torres upfront.
Rickie Lambert is the south coast side's biggest threat and he was rested for much of the Pensioners' win at St Mary's. Although Southampton's defence looked all at sea at times against a depleted Villa side at the weekend, Lambert converted his one shot on goal in the match (the penalty won by Rodriguez) and earned three vital points.
Gary Cahill missed Chelsea's win at Stoke to witness the birth of his child. Benitez might decide to deliver John Terry more miles on the road to peak fitness, and could restore David Luiz to his recent central midfield role.
Squad fitness news
Only long-term knee casualty Oriol Romeu is unavailable to Rafael Benitez due to injury.
For Southampton, though defender Luke Moore is rated a doubt, fellow defender Jose Fonte is reported out with a knee injury. Captain Adam Lallana is also missing with a knee problem.
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Tickets for the game are on sale to personal callers at the box office until 4pm on Wednesday.
