Premier League – Sunday 4 October 2009
Chelsea v Liverpool
Stamford Bridge, Kick-off 4pm BST
With Javier Mascherano back for Liverpool, starting alongside Lucas, Steven Gerrard will be playing in that more advanced role, along with Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera, behind Fernando Torres.
Glen Johnson makes a return to his old club, he’ll be in defence with left-back Emiliano Insua. Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel start at centre-back but with Daniel Agger back on the bench after an injury lay-off they know they have to perform better than they have at times this season if they aren’t to find their places under threat.
Hilario starts in goal for Chelsea, in place of the suspended Cech, but Chelsea have plenty of the names in their squad that have become familiar to Liverpool fans in the past five years, this being the 25th meeting between the two sides in that time. Ballack, Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard and Drogba are amongst the starters, with Joe Cole and Malouda amongst the subs. One-time Red Nicolas Anelka also starts for Chelsea.
Chelsea: 40 Hilario, 2 Ivanovic, 3 A Cole, 6 Carvalho, 26 Terry, 5 Essien, 8 Lampard, 13 Ballack, 20 Deco, 11 Drogba, 39 Anelka
Subs: 22 Turnbull, 35 Belletti, 10 J Cole, 15 Malouda, 18 Zhirkov, 21 Kalou, 23 Sturridge
Liverpool: 25 Reina, 2 Johnson, 23 Carragher, 37 Skrtel, 22 Insua, 20 Mascherano, 21 Lucas, 18 Kuyt, 8 Gerrard, 11 Riera, 9 Torres
Subs: 1 Cavalieri, 5 Agger, 12 Aurelio, 16 Kyrgiakos, 15 Benayoun, 19 Babel, 24 Ngog
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants: David Richardson, Phil Sharp
Fourth official: Simon Bennett