How Chelsea Will Line Up Against West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea welcome West Bromwich Albion to Stamford Bridge in a rare Saturday afternoon kick-off on Nov. 9. The Blues bounced back from their 2-0 defeat away at Newcastle with a comfortable 3-0 win over Schalke 04 in their midweek Champions League game and will want to go into the international break with two wins from two.

As they switch their focus back to the Premier League, Jose Mourinho will face his former assistant Steve Clarke in the opposition dugout. The two won back-to-back Premier League titles at Chelsea between 2004-07 and departed West London within 12 months of each other.

Whilst Clarke can always be sure of a warm welcome at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho will want to make sure that the Blues maintain their 100 percent record at home in the league this season.

Cesar Azpilicueta started at left-back in both matches against Schalke 04, and his excellent performances have been noted by Mourinho, per The Telegraph. However, Ashley Cole will likely return to the starting XI in his natural position ahead of the international break.

John Terry has been Chelsea’s best player this season, and his partnership with Gary Cahill at the back is the most stable centre-half pairing. They combined to make five tackles and 11 effective clearances against Schalke, and both had a passing accuracy of 96 percent, which should see them retain their places against West Brom.

Frank Lampard came on for the final 10 minutes in midweek and immediately set Demba Ba up for Chelsea’s third goal of the night. Although the 35-year-old has shown that he can no longer play the full 90 minutes of every fixture, he has done enough to warrant a return to the starting XI alongside Ramires.

Eden Hazard sat out the game against Schalke, having turned up late to training on Monday. Mourinho is quoted by Dominic Fifield of The Guardian as saying:

"

Did he forget the time? Look, he's a kid. Kids make mistakes and fathers have to be clever in the way they educate their sons. He didn't play. He wanted to play. He was sad because he didn't play. We won without him. On Saturday he is back. So, end of story.

"

Let’s hope somebody gets the £185,000-a-week star a watch before then.

Andre Schurrle is the most likely candidate to flank Oscar on the right. The young German star has proved himself a vital asset in exploiting the wings, preventing the midfield congestion that has hampered Chelsea so often.

Fernando Torres’ adductor injury should see Samuel Eto’o retain his place up front. Two of the veteran’s three goals so far have shown great awareness and a poacher’s instinct, and it appears that he has adjusted to the demands of the Premier League.

The performance against Schalke was a dramatic improvement to the one against Newcastle, and Mourinho will be hoping for a similar showing from his side on Saturday as he takes charge of his 100th Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge.

West Brom will be without the injured Zoltan Gera and Victor Anichebe joins former Chelsea players Scott Sinclair and Nicolas Anelka in a race to be fit for Saturday’s clash. The Baggies may have beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time since 1978, but they will need to be at their very best to end Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten run in the League at Stamford Bridge.