Chelsea take on Copenhagen at Parken Stadion in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.
Torres expected to start; Gronkjaer ready for reunion
It now seems strange to think that Chelsea were initially considered strong favourites when drawn against Copenhagen in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in mid-December.
Since being pulled out of the hat eight days before Christmas 2010, Carlo Ancelotti's team have won less than 50 per cent of their matches in all competitions to leave the defending Premier League champions in a mess.
Just five victories, three of which came in a flurry between 9th and 24th January, have been recorded from 12 outings to lead to reports of all manner of problems surrounding the club from Stamford Bridge ahead of their first leg in Scandinavia.
Ancelotti has been described as a 'dead man walking' by some sections of Britain's written press amid suggestions that he has suffered a complete breakdown in his working relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
To add to crisis rumours, Everton produced an FA Cup upset as they won on penalties in West London at the weekend, while a fifth-placed club's main league concern this season is not to retain the title but to finish in the top four.
Confidence
Confidence is therefore far from high, hence chest-beating words from captain John Terry, and what was originally viewed as a straightforward tie for Chelsea, having finished top of Group F with five wins from six matches, now appears tricky.
European success, which has long been a priority for Abramovich, could prove the only saving grace for Ancelotti come May and after cutting a slightly forlorn looking character on the sidelines in the past month he will be desperate for a first-leg win.
But Copenhagen will prove a stern test following their position as runners-up to Barcelona in Group D, with Pep Guardiola's defending Spanish champions only leaving Denmark with a point.
Fernando Torres will be out to silence his critics and is set to start in a first XI which is also likely to include Nicolas Anelka, Michael Essien and Jose Bosingwa at Parken Stadion, where England played Denmark earlier in February.
None of the quartet started against Everton, with £50milllion January signing Torres cup-tied having appeared in the competition for Liverpool, Bosingwa injured and Anelka and Essien on the bench.
Daft
Former Benfica star David Luiz is cup-tied, while Alex (knee) and Yossi Benayoun (Achilles) are still sidelined.
Copenhagen head coach Stale Solbakken has revealed the more 'daft' members of his squad reckon they are a better team than Chelsea, but even if that is not true, they can still cause England's 2009/10 Double-winners problems.
Solbakken's side have not played a competitive match since their last Champions League group game more than two months ago, but they appear far from overawed about a game being billed in Denmark as the biggest in the club's history.
Jesper Gronkjaer will be a familiar face following his four years with Chelsea between 2000 and 2004, while striker Dame N'Doye has scored 13 goals in 18 matches this season.
Experienced defender Mikael Antonsson and fellow centre-back Mathias Zanka Jorgensen will be tasked with ensuring Torres does not score his first goal for Chelsea.
Possible starting XIs:
Copenhagen: Wiland, Pospech, Antonsson, Jorgensen, Wendt, Bolanos, Claudemir, Kvist, Gronkjaer, Santin, N'Doye.
Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Terry, Ivanovic, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Anelka, Torres.
