Chelsea will get a huge boost on Saturday when they witness the return of captain John Terry for their tilt with Stoke City.
Terry has not played with the team since injuring his knee on Nov. 11 in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool. He played with the Under-21 team on Thursday and his strong play prompted manager Rafa Benitez to call him up for the top club.
Also returning into the lineup will be number one keeper Petr Cech who suffered a groin injury in December. Chelsea is going to need both of them to help the squad regain its third place spot. On Jan. 2 the team dropped a shocking 1-0 loss at home against Queens Park Rangers in a tilt that enabled Tottenham Hotspur to jump past them in the standings. Demba Ba had a tremendous debut a few weeks ago in the FAC cup match against Southampton and this will be his first official Premier League match. He will be counted on to fuel the inconsistent offense of this club.
Their opponents will be Stoke City, a team that has wound up in the middle of the standings for most of the season. The team has won six times and lost four, but their 11 draws have kept them in 10th place. Stoke City lost their last game 3-0 against Manchester City.
Predictions: Logic would indicate Chelsea should win this, but the team has been inconsistent and they have proven to be susceptible. They should win this however.
Start Time: 10 a.m. EST
TV: ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes
Watch Live Stream on ESPN 3 HERE
Watch Live Stream on Fox Soccer HERE