Premier League: Chelsea v Stoke City

Summary

Chelsea XI: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Baba, Matic, Mikel, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Traore.
Stoke XI: Butland, Cameron, Wollscheid, Muniesa, Pieters, Whelan, Imbula, Shaqiri, Afellay, Arnautovic, Diouf.

Live Reporting

Emlyn Begley

'Chelsea can get into Europe'published at 14:50 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Quote Message
Chelsea have got themselves into a position where they can have a strong finish and may well get into the European places. They may need others to slip up… but they have the potential to go on a run which can take them a long way.
Stoke manager (and former Chelsea striker) Mark Hughes
Image source, Getty Images
Postpublished at 14:47 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Quote Message
I will be now and then at Stamford Bridge and at Cobham as a tourist [after this season]. I am here for a short period. I think the club has to go into a new era of Chelsea which is not just about short spells.
Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink
Image source, Getty Images
Postpublished at 14:46 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
'Hiddink doesn't need long-term Chelsea job'published at 14:44
David Pleat
Former Tottenham boss on BBC Radio 5 live
"Me and Alan Sugar met with Guus Hiddink in around 2001 to discuss him coming to Tottenham but he was a smarter man than both of us - because he took the South Korea job and had an enjoyable World Cup.
"He is a shrewd man, a very clever man but he is too old to get a long-term role at Chelsea. He doesn't need it."
Image source, Empics
'Chelsea have found belief'published at 14:41 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Kevin Kilbane
Ex-Everton and Republic of Ireland winger
"Guus Hiddink has done a great job but Chelsea were well below par when he took over. At some stage of the season they were going to go on a run and they have some belief now.
"They were clearly not playing for Jose Mourinho - for whatever reason."
Make your predictionspublished at 14:42
BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season.
Lawro's opponent for this weekend's Premier League fixtures is American hip hop artistFatman Scoop, who has been taking part in Sport Relief's Battle of the Five-A-Sides.
Want a go yourself? Check out our BBC Sport Predictor game.
Image source, #bbcfootball
Postpublished at 14:37 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Image source, #bbcfootball
'Chelsea's priorities lie elsewhere'published at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Chelsea v Stoke (15:00 GMT)
John Roder
Match of the Day commentator
"Both Chelsea and Stoke come into this match in good form, having won their last three top-flight matches, and with the Blues still unbeaten in the Premier League under Guus Hiddink.
"It is 32 years since the Potters last won a league match at Stamford Bridge but they will travel to the capital hoping to complete the double over Chelsea, having won the reverse fixture 1-0 in November.
"The home side's priorities now are the Champions League and FA Cup, with the second leg of their tie against Paris St-Germain up next."
Team newspublished at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Chelsea v Stoke (15:00 GMT)
Chelsea frontman Diego Costa is out with a minor tendon injury as the Blues start without a regular striker. Willian comes in for the Spain international as one of three changes. John Mikel Obi and Baba Rahman also start.
Image source, #bbcfootball
Stoke make two changes, with Mame Biram Diouf replacing Jon Walters up front and Marc Muniesa coming in for the injured Phil Bardsley at the back.
Image source, #bbcfootball
The race for Europe?published at 14:30
Image source, .
With 10 games to go, Chelsea are still trying to catch Stoke City in the Premier League table.
I don't think anybody would have predicted that at the start of the season.
Win today and the 10th-placed Blues would overtake Stoke, who are seventh.
The Potters are only five points off the Champions League places by the way...