No Lampard for Chelsea

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is once again without Frank Lampard for today’s Premier League trip to Blackburn after his failure to recover from a hernia injury.

Ancelotti brings Alex back from a thigh injury in place of Jose Bosingwa in the only change to the side which beat Wolves at Stamford Bridge last week.

Rovers boss Sam Allardyce restores Christopher Samba and Ryan Nelsen to his defence, while Mame Biram Diouf is also back and Benjani Mwaruwari has been handed his first Premier League start for the club.

Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Jones, Mame Diouf, Emerton, Pedersen, El-Hadji Diouf, Mwaruwari.

Subs: Bunn, Olsson, Dunn, Kalinic, Grella, Hoilett, Roberts.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole, Essien, Mikel, Zhirkov, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda.

Subs: Turnbull, Bosingwa, Ferreira, Kalou, Sturridge, Kakuta, McEachran.

Referee: Peter Walton.