Chelsea vs Middlesbrough Preview

Chelsea captain John Terry is fit again after his back injury and is in the squad to face Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Terry missed two games with a back spasm but, while he returns, co-defender Ricardo Carvalho is out for 10 days with a hamstring problem.

Striker Didier Drogba continues in the squad but is likely to start on the substitutes' bench again.

Assistant first-team coach Ray Wilkins insists Chelsea are in good shape to face a month that could potentially define their season.

The Blues have three home games in the Barclays Premier League, beginning with the Boro clash, plus Hull and Wigan.

But they also have crucial away trips to Liverpool and Aston Villa as well as an FA Cup fifth-round tie at Watford and a home leg against Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League.

"It's a great month, a fantastic month,'' said Wilkins. "If you are a footballer, these are the games you want to play in. This month is extremely important for us.

"It's always crucial you pick up maximum points. At home we would expect to do very well indeed and it won't be for the want of trying.

"We had a magnificent record away from home and our football is quite exceptional.

"At home we haven't reproduced that type of football but it's not for the want of trying.

"We're working at it and we'll get back to that level of performance. We're not too far short. When teams come to Stamford Bridge, you must give them credit.

"They set themselves out not to get beat and to make it extremely difficult for our guys. The onus is on us to take the game to them and beat them.''

The form of top scorer Nicolas Anelka continues to thwart the Drogba's hopes of getting back into the side but Wilkins is convinced the Ivorian will seize his chance when it arrives.

"Didier realises the situation he finds himself in with Nicolas being the top scorer in the Premier League,'' said Wilkins.

"He will get his chance at some stage and I'm sure he'll take it because that's the professional man he is.''

On-loan striker Marlon King goes straight into the Middlesbrough squad for the Stamford Bridge trip.

King, 28, who is contracted to Wigan, has signed a loan deal until the end of the season having previously been on loan at Hull this season and has scored five goals.

He could form a striking partnership with Afonso Alves. Boro's Brazilian record signing has recovered from an Achilles injury which he suffered in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round win away to Wolves.

Boro skipper Emanuel Pogatetz returns following a hamstring niggle, though fellow defender Andrew Taylor will be missing with an ankle ligament injury.

Julio Arca is also back after recovering from a knee injury, though fellow midfielder Didier Digard is still suspended.

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate believes King's "hunger'' to succeed will have a positive effect on his new team-mates in their survival battle.

"I've been absolutely delighted with him so far. He's got a hunger to be here and I think he has a point to prove.

"The great thing from the squad's point of view is that it's another striking option. Marlon has Premier League experience and he is fit from his time at Hull, so we can put him straight in if we need to.''

Southgate must come up with an effective game plan if he is to halt his side's poor run at Chelsea.

Boro have not won at Stamford Bridge for more than 30 years and Southgate will be tempted to do what most visitors to Chelsea do, and leave out a striker in favour of playing an extra man in midfield.

The Boro boss does not have too many midfield options though, having been left bitterly disappointed when target Ben Watson opted to join Wigan from Crystal Palace last week, despite having a medical on Teesside.

Southgate said: "We don't have too many options in terms of numbers, but we are not lacking in experience.

"We have missed Julio Arca over the last couple of weeks while he has had treatment for a knee injury.

"He's also missed a bit of training because of illness, but he's recovered and he will be fit to rejoin the squad.

"Obviously we are missing Didier Digard who is suspended, but Mohamed Shawky has recovered from the hamstring niggle he suffered at Wolves last weekend, which justified our decision to take him off at half-time.''

Sources: Soccernet.com