Paul Thomas
Chelsea could be without Demba Ba and Petr Cech when they face Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, as they look for an overdue win.
Chelsea will have a fine opportunity to correct their stuttering form when they face a Wigan Athletic side that is yet to click into gear at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Latics traditionally tend to up their game as the season draws on, but injuries and inconsistency have combined to leave them looking in danger and yet to go on a decent run, which should make them highly beatable opponents as Rafael Benitez looks to halt Chelsea's decline in form.
The Blues have thrown away a string of leads lately against lower teams such as Southampton and Reading, so will have to be wary of avoiding a repeat - despite looking to have been comfortably ahead, they have allowed themselves to be sucked into a battle for Champions League qualification, with Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton looking to overhaul them.
Wigan, conversely, are in desperate need of something to give them a boost and kick off a good run of form as the relegation battle heats up - with all their rivals playing well, they can't afford to leave it too much longer.
Chelsea injuries and suspensions
Out: Victor Moses (international duty), John Obi MIkel (international duty) Oriol Romeu (knee) In Doubt: Demba Ba (face), Petr Cech (finger)
Wigan Athletic injuries and suspensions:
Out: Fraser Fyvie (calf), Mike Pollitt (hip), Ivan Ramis (ACL), Ryo Miyaichi (ankle), Ben Watson (shin), Albert Crusat (knee), Antolin Alcaraz (hip). In doubt: Emerson Boyce (hamstring)
Chelsea will still be without Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel after Nigeria went all the way to the final in the Africa Cup of Nations, while Oriol Romeu continues his lengthy absence. Petr Cech and Demba Ba could both return after minor injuries, but will have to undergo late tests.
Wigan continue to struggle with injuries, with Emerson Boyce a doubt for the game, and Ryo Miyaichi, Ben Watson, Ivan Ramis, Albert Crusat and Antolin Alcaraz all unavailable.
Match Date\Time: Saturday, 3 p.m. local, 10 a.m. ET
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, England
TV: FOX Soccer Channel (U.S. English), FOX Deportes (U.S. Spanish), Sportsnet World (Canada)
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