Samuel Eto'o
Eto'o left the field on a stretcher.

Fernando Torres is expected to lead Chelsea's attack throughout the club's tough December schedule with Samuel Eto'o likely to be out for the foreseeable future after picking up a serious looking thigh injury during the Champions League defeat to FC Basel.

The Cameroon international left the field on a stretcher prior to half-time after falling awkwardly after overstretching for the ball and was replaced by Torres.

Eto'o, who has scored four goals for the club this season, will undergo a scan on the injury upon Chelsea's return to England and if the 32 year old has suffered a tear, he will be expected to miss the club's festive schedule.

Chelsea manager Jose Mouirnho said: "Samuel has a muscular injury. We have to wait two days, we have to do scans. I don't know the dimension of it yet."

Torres, who only returned from a muscle injury of his own in the 1-0 loss to Basel, is now likely to be entrusted with leading the Chelsea attacking during their busiest period of the season, a situation which once again calls into question Mourinho's decision to part with Romelu Lukaku.

Before the climax of their Champions League campaign against Steaua Bucharest, Chelsea face Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke City in the Premier League.

Crystal Palace then travel to Stamford Bridge before Chelsea's League Cup quarter-final against Sunderland, which is followed by a trip to current league leaders Arsenal and meetings with Swansea City and Liverpool.

Demba Ba will likely be employed sporadically throughout the run of nine games in 29 days but having enjoyed limited appearances this season the Senegal striker was expected to be offloaded in the January transfer window.

Mourinho identified signs of tiredness in his Chelsea's players in the loss to Basel and says he must manage his squad next month.

"This situation maybe helps me to make decisions when we have consecutive matches," he said. "I got signs of fatigue and players having trouble playing two consecutive matches in three days. That will push me for sure to make different decisions. That's obvious.

"In some positions we have that situation resolved in a very easy way, because we have lots of players to play the attacking positions behind the strikers to try to give the team the sharpness it needs to win every game.

'We will make decisions but it's not a question of punishment; it's a question of using the squad and the options we have."