Chelsea FC: 3 Galatasaray Players to Watch for Wednesday

Chelsea travel to Istanbul on Wednesday to face a Galatasaray team hoping to put themselves in good stead for booking a place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

It is a team that is full of familiar faces, but also a few new ones. Although Chelsea will have considered themselves lucky to avoid certain clubs from Spain or Germany, Galatasaray are a dangerous team who need to be taken seriously.

Their attacking talent is all too familiar to the men from London, and if the Blues are going to win, they will have to do their very best to prevent a few of Galatasaray's key players from playing how they would like.

Here are three of the main threats to watch out for on Wednesday. 

Didier Drogba

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No prizes for guessing the first name on this list.

Didier Drogba's time at Stamford Bridge ensured that the Ivorian will live forever in Chelsea folklore—a legend of the Bridge.

However, when he faces his old club on Wednesday, it will be in a completely different role. Rather than trying to help Chelsea's Champions League campaign, he will be trying to end it.

Despite his age, he still remains capable of doing so.

Still incredibly dangerous and skilled, he can hold the ball up and score goals with the best of them.

As we all know, he lives for big games like this. He is definitely the main one to watch on Wednesday.

Wesley Sneijder

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Another familiar face—this time to Jose Mourinho.

Wesley Sneijder is definitely a player that the Blues will want to contain.

Chelsea's defence will have enough on their hands with Drogba, but if they want to prevent Galatasaray from scoring, they will have to stop their main playmaker.

Despite reports in December that the Dutch star was unsettled, Sneijder is still the centre of most of Galatasaray's best plays, and his late goal against Juventus was what put them through to this stage. 

Felipe Melo

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If there is one player that is bound to get under the skin of the Chelsea players, it is Felipe Melo.

With their artistic midfield and struggling strikeforce, if Chelsea do not get an early goal, their frustrations will no doubt build.

At that point, Melo will seek to take advantage.

The Brazilian is not afraid to get his hands dirty and will be constantly pestering the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar, looking to stifle their creativity.

While Sneijder and Drogba are doing their work in attack, Melo will be preventing Chelsea from developing any sort of attacking rhythm, and they will hate him for it.