Andre Villas-Boas announced that record signing Fernando Torres is fit to face Stoke, but Brazilian David Luiz will miss out.
Andre Villas-Boas told ChelseaFC.com: “Torres should be okay to be selected for the team travelling up to Stoke. Yesterday (Thursday) he still couldn’t remember a couple of things from the game and from before the game, but he was back in training today and he is up for selection for the squad.
Before adding: “David Luiz will certainly be out of the game, he has been suffering for quite some time and it will keep him out for one more week, hopefully less.”
The Torres’ news comes as a surprise following his head injury, which was classed as light concussion. This could mean that the Spaniard may make the starting 11, with Didier Drogba having to sit on the bench.
With Luiz having not featured in pre-season due to injury, it does not come as a shock that he will miss the opening fixture. It may take a week to recover, but then he will need to get match fit, hopefully he will be back in the team by the end of the month.
By Scott Balaam
Twitter @theshed11
Buying teenagers with limited experience is the way to go for the future, but right now Chelsea needs some ready-made youngsters who are proven at top clubs. Lukaku is a good example; he can play right away, but we need a few more, especially in the winger, right back, and central defence positions. Someone must be phased in to fill John Terry’s shoes this year; and I would volunteer Neven Subotic for that. I am not totally sure that Van De Wiel would be the best option to replace Ferreira or Bosingwa, but I am sure that a replacement is needed. But a top winger is perhaps the most interesting consideration; I think most Chelsea fans are eager to see a player that can make a difference when the opposition parks the metaphoric bus across goal. Here we need a player with the vision and tricks to send defenders the wrong way, and the skill to lay on a perfect pass or attack alone. And here only one name springs to mind and that is Neymar. For all the concerns I and others have about him I still think he would prove to be an extraordinary weapon (He is a striker, winger, and central midfielder). Perhaps Di Matteo was watching him in Germany this week for similar reasons. If I had the money I would go for it.