Mourinho Places Faith in Torres Replacements

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will emplace his trust in Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba across the next two games after Fernando Torres was ruled out with a muscle injury.

Torres will miss the Champions League visit of Schalke 04 on Wednesday and Premier League meeting with West Bromwich Albion this weekend but could return after the international break against West Ham United.

The 29 year old has scored four goals this season for Chelsea including the late winner against Manchester City which followed the most impressive display of his career in west London but his rejuvenation has been halted by injury.

"Fernando has a muscular injury, we have to wait for the scans tomorrow but it's easy to say he's out tomorrow and at the weekend, after that is the international break and we'll have to see if he can recover," Mourinho confirmed.

"Samuel and Demba, they want to play, they are waiting for opportunities to play so when they have a chance, and they know they will have it now and against West Brom, they know they have in their hands the job to play up front.

"It's a good motivation for them and hopefully they can express on the pitch the way they work during the week."

Since moving from Anzhi Makhachkala in the summer, Eto'o has scored just once for Chelsea in 10 appearances while Ba has been out of favour with Mourinho this term has made just three starts in all competitions.

The blow to Torres follows defeat to Newcastle United which ended Chelsea's six-match winning run and brought about scathing criticism from Mourinho regarding the performance.

Injury to Torres has forced him to change his hand ahead of the visit of Schalke at Stamford Bridge, but the Portuguese boss doesn't want the alterations to be interpreted as an angry response to the result at St James' Park.

"I don't want people to see the changes I make tomorrow as though someone's paying for the defeat at Newcastle because that's not the case," he said.

"I read a game once, twice, or three times and how players performed, and after that you have to make changes, not to punish people, completely far from it, but to try to get the best team to win the game."