No recall for Torres, Fahey back for Blues

Fernando Torres has failed to earn a recall for Chelsea’s Barclays Premier League game against Birmingham tonight as Carlo Ancelotti makes just one change from Saturday’s win at West Brom.

Torres’ omission is significant as it is the first time he has been left out of the starting XI for two successive games, with Ancelotti appearing to acknowledge Didier Drogba's better form.

Paulo Ferreira replaces the injured Branislav Ivanovic at right-back while Birmingham make two changes, with Alexander Hleb handed his first start for two months and Keith Fahey his first for six-and-a-half weeks.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, David Luiz, Terry, Cole, Essien, Mikel, Lampard, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.

Subs: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Torres, Benayoun, Zhirkov, Anelka, Bertrand.

Birmingham: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Parnaby, Larsson, Gardner, Ferguson, Fahey, Hleb, Jerome.

Subs: Doyle, Bowyer, Phillips, Bentley, Derbyshire, Beausejour, Davies.

Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)