2:30 pm today
Team news from Vitalfootball.co.ukChelsea Team News: Of couse, Chelsea will be without their first two goalkeepers, so it will be third-choice Hilario (subject to a vote of confidence by José, Joe Cole and John Terry) who will take the duties between the sticks. All other injuries that kept players away this weekend seem to have cleared up, so José has more or less a clear choice for his outfield players. That would put Ashley Cole, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Khalid Boulahrouz in defence; Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Claude Makalele in midfield, and Andriy Shevchenko and Didier Drogba in attack. We expect that Joe Cole will make an appearance, though, and we very much hope not to see 4th choice keeper, Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay, anywhere else but the bench!
Player to watch: Drogba, Essien and Sheva?
We're tempted to say that 3 players will have something to prove. One is Didier Drogba, sent off 2 seasons ago in the Nou Camp for 2 very soft yellow cards (and, incidentally, on fire at the moment). A second is Michael Essien, also on fire, and who was unavailable for selection last time we played Barça, courtesy of a high-pitched whine from Liverpool. A third is Andriy Shevchenko, who played against Barça often enough when he was at Milan, and who needs to demonstrate that he's fitting in at Chelsea.
Barcelona Team News: We know that two Barça players won't be on the pitch: Samuel Eto'o (knee-knock) and Beletti (shoulder). The absence of Eto'o will be a blessing, but his replacement is likely to be one Eidur Gudjohnsen. Courtesy of the Spanish press, we know the starting line-up: Valdes; Marquez, Puyol, Edmilson, Van Bronkhorst; Zambrotta, Xavi, Deco; Messi, Gudjohnsen and some bloke called Ronaldinho.
Player to watch: Eidur Gudjohnsen
We'll nominate our very own Eidur Gudjohnsen. Before the match, Chelsea want to honour a player who gave so much to The Blues. An injury to Samuel Eto'o gives Eidur a rare starting place at Barça, and Eidur says that he's been briefing Rijkaard on how to beat Chelsea. Whatever his performance, much like Chelsea did with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, let us remember a fans favourite this evening.