Chelsea will be without Joe Cole who succumbed to ANOTHER injury against Southend on Wednesday night, and rumours abound suggest that Joey has sustained severe ligament damage and could be out of action, anything from two months to the rest of the season.

Just under five years ago, James Beattie scored the second fastest goal in Premiership history when he scored for Southampton in twelve seconds against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (I remember it well, as I was still queuing up outside to get into the Stadium).

When the goal went in, there was a deathly hush amongst the waiting and impatient crowd.

In the same game, Beattie scored an own goal and I am sure he gave away a penalty which Super Frank converted and Chelsea won the game 2-1.

In another visit, this time with Everton, Beattie collided with Cechie boy and Petr was unable to continue and was substituted.

So James Beattie is on his way back to Stamford Bridge with his new side, after his move from Championship side Sheffied United, at the beginning of the week.

With our defensive problems, the last thing we need is a battering ram type of player as Beattie is.

When we played Stoke at The Britannia back in September, Scolari prepared the defence for the long throws of Rory Delap.

That day in our 2-0 win, Delap was injured.

At the moment he is expected to play Saturday.

Definitely out for Stoke is Ricardo Fuller who is serving the final game of his three match ban after his very very public run-in with Captain Andy Griffin.

Saturday's game, on paper, should be a foregone conclusion for Chelsea as Stoke have failed to win in 31 games in the top division away from home.

They have lost 23 of those games, drawing the other 8 whilst scoring 12 goals and conceding 72.

But with Chelsea there is always a first time for these type of teams to end a miserable record.

You know with Chelsea you can expect the unexpected and Chelsea are synonymous with the famous phrase:

OH THE GLORIOUS UNPREDICTABILITY!!