Chelsea seek Champions League break against Zilina

Chelsea will take a European break from their domestic crisis on Tuesday as they attempt to wrap up top spot in their Champions League qualifying group against MSK Zilina.

After crashing to their third Premier League defeat in four matches on Saturday, Chelsea could not have hoped for less challenging visitors as they attempt to get back to winning ways.

The Slovakian minnows have made the worst start to a Champions League campaign in history, losing all four of their matches, scoring just once and conceding a record 15 goals in the process.

Chelsea trounced Zilina 4-1 when they travelled to Slovakia in September, and even allowing for the problems which have engulfed the Londoners in the Premier League recently, should record a comfortable win on Tuesday.

The English champions assured themselves of a place in the last 16 in their rout of Spartak Moscow earlier this month and need only a point to be certain of topping the group.

Injuries to key players have ravaged Carlo Ancelotti’s squad in recent weeks, with John Terry, Frank Lampard, Yury Zhirkov all expected to miss Tuesday’s tie at Stamford Bridge.

It is also unclear whether Brazilian defender Alex will be available as he prepares to undergo surgery on a knee problem.

Nevertheless the injury crisis is not a concern to Chelsea’s in-form France international Florent Malouda.

“We are missing players but it is not a problem,” said Malouda. “When you play for Chelsea and lose the way we’ve lost at home, you expect a reaction from our players.”

With so many of his front-line players missing, Ancelotti will look to Chelsea’s up-and-coming youngsters to secure the result necessary to win the group, with 17-year-old midfielder Josh McEachran expected to start.

English teenager McEachran is regarded as one of the club’s most promising prospects and the midfielder has already appeared as a substitute in the Champions League this season.

“Josh will start against Zilina,” Ancelotti said. “He is ready because he has personality and he will play an important position on the pitch as a holding midfielder.

“I think he can put in a good performance. He is able to do this.”

While McEachran is the club’s most talked about home-grown player, Ancelotti is also expected to give game time to some of the foreign youngsters on the club’s books.

“As well as McEachran other young players will be involved in the Zilina game,” he said. “There?s (Gael) Kakuta, (Patrick) Van Aanholt, (Jeffrey) Bruma. I want to change things for this game,” he said.

“It is important. We can use this game to give the opportunity to young players to improve their experience. We need to take one point and it is possible to win.

“If I have the possibility this is the way I have to manage the club and the team. There are a lot of games and sometimes you have to change.”