Chelsea vs. Schalke: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

The top two Champions League clubs in Group E will take aim at first place on Wednesday when English powerhouse Chelsea hosts German hopeful Schalke at Stamford Bridge.

Despite struggling this past weekend at Newcastle, Jose Mourinho's Blues have looked awfully strong over their past two Champions League group clashes since falling 2-1 at home to Basel to begin group play. Back-to-back shutout road wins over Steaua Bucuresti and Schalke have lifted Chelsea to the top of Group E.

Meanwhile, Jens Keller's men will be hoping to stop the bleeding following a 3-0 loss to Chelsea at Veltins-Arena their last time out in the Champions League.

Fernando Torres struck twice in that match, and Eden Hazard put the finishing touches on the Blues' decisive victory. But reports that Torres could miss Wednesday's match with a thigh injury have raised concerns for the favorite. 

Here we'll get you set with everything you need to know for this week's Champions League tilt. 

Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Start Time: 2:45 p.m. ET, 7:45 p.m. GMT

Where: Stamford Bridge, London

Watch: Sky Sports

Live Stream: Sky Sports Events Centre (U.K.), FOXSoccer2Go (U.S.)

Match Forecast*

Chelsea: 72.4 percent

Schalke: 9.2 percent

Draw: 18.4 percent

*Odds according to Bloomberg Sports.

Top Storyline: Fernando Torres' Status in Doubt

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres, who earned Man of the Match honors in the Blues' 3-0 win over Schalke last month, could miss Wednesday's game at Stamford Bridge because of a nagging thigh injury, according to The Independent's Sam Wallace.

Torres, who has scored five goals in all competitions thus far in 2013-14, could potentially be replaced by Samuel Eto'o or Demba Ba. Eto'o has one goal in 10 appearances for Chelsea, while Ba has yet to find the back of the net despite recording 10 shots through seven matches. 

Chelsea will take on West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, which would be the soonest Torres could return if he misses Wednesday's match. 

Prediction

Although Torres' absence hurts Chelsea's attack, this is still the top defensive club in Group E. After all, world-class goalkeeper Petr Cech made five saves en route to recording a clean sheet his last time out against Schalke. 

Not to mention Cech and company haven't conceded a single goal over their last two Group E matches. Therefore, they can certainly overcome the loss of an offensive weapon. 

Plus, the Blues will be at an advantage playing at home in front of an electric crowd. 

Mourinho will need one or more of his talented midfielders to deliver, but that's not asking too much against an overmatched Schalke squad. While Keller's upset-minded squad will be determined to make up for its embarrassing showing last month, Chelsea still appears to be a safe bet on Wednesday. 

Chelsea 2, Schalke 0

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