Chelsea v Newcastle

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Stamford Bridge Date: Sunday, 15 May (£25 bet) Kick-off: 1330 BST
Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on Match of the Day 2; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles

Chelsea have reported no injuries following defeat to Manchester United.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti may recall Fernando Torres, while Ramires and Alex could also return to the starting line-up.

Kevin Nolan will miss Newcastle’s last two games after undergoing ankle surgery, although he should be fit for the start of next season.

The same applies to Steve Harper, who requires a knee operation, so Tim Krul will continue in goal.

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Chelsea

Injured:None

Newcastle

Doubtful: Smith (ankle/fitness)

Injured: Ben Arfa (leg), Best, Ireland & Nolan (all ankle), Gosling, Harper & Perch (all knee), Guthrie (shin), Williamson (arm)

This time last year Chelsea were enjoying an incredible finish to the season, wrapping up the Premier League title with 17 goals in their last three games before clinching the Double at Wembley. Yet just 12 months on, everyone is asking whether this could be Carlo Ancelotti’s final game at Stamford Bridge.

Ancelotti’s body language in recent weeks has reminded me of ‘dead man walking’ Claudio Ranieri, but is there a better manager available this summer? Guus Hiddink would be a popular choice with Blues fans, but it remains to be seen whether he would walk away from his job as Turkey boss.

The Blues scored 21 times in their first five league games this season, but the goals have dried up since then. They have only managed 67, compared to 103 last term – that tells you an awful lot about what went wrong, particularly during their poor run of form during the winter. When you look at the average age of Chelsea’s squad, you do get the feeling some of them will be on their way this summer.

If Ancelotti does go, the new manager will have some rebuilding to do. Experienced players such as Michael Ballack, Deco and Juliano Belletti were let go last summer and not replaced. Few academy players appear ready to step up, with the possible exception of Josh McEachran, and it will be interesting to see what role Daniel Sturridge plays next season.

Newcastle also need to strengthen this summer and the key question will be how much of the Andy Carroll cash is reinvested. In the short term, Alan Pardew has a selection dilemma for Sunday’s game. Pardew would prefer not to risk Cheikh Tiote, who is one booking away from a three-match ban, but Kevin Nolan’s injury leaves the Magpies boss short of options in midfield.

Head-to-head

• Newcastle and Chelsea have met 131 times in league matches. The Magpies have won 44 times, with the Blues victorious on 52 occasions.

• An injury-time Shola Ameobi goal gave Newcastle a 4-3 win when these sides met in a Carling Cup third-round tie at Stamford Bridge on 22 September 2010.

• Newcastle have not won a league game away to Chelsea for almost a quarter of a century. Since winning 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in a top-flight encounter on 22 November 1986, the Magpies have lost 11 of 17 league games there, drawing a further six.

Chelsea

• The Blues have won 31 of 37 league games at Stamford Bridge under Carlo Ancelotti (W31, D3, L3).

• Chelsea’s defeat at Old Trafford last weekend ended a run of five consecutive Premier League wins. It was their first league loss since a home defeat to Liverpool on 6 February.

• They are yet to lose a league game in which they scored the opening goal this season (W16, D2).

• Nicolas Anelka is hoping to make his 100th Chelsea start.

Newcastle

• The Magpies’ victory against Birmingham was their second win in nine league games (W2, D3, L4).

• All five of their league wins in 2011 have come against sides who begin the weekend in the bottom five of the table.

• The Magpies have only scored two second-half goals in their last nine league games.

Chelsea

Anelka: 16 goals (6 league); Malouda: 14 goals (13 league)

Newcastle

Nolan: 12 goals (12 league); Ameobi: 9 goals (6 league)

Referee: Lee Mason

Assistant referees: Simon Long & Trevor Massey

Fourth official: Anthony Taylor

Chelsea (L1-2 v Man Utd, a): Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Luiz (Alex 46), Cole, Mikel (Ramires 46), Lampard, Essien, Kalou (Torres 61), Drogba, Malouda. Subs not used: Turnbull, Benayoun, Ferreira, Anelka.

Newcastle (W2-1 v Birmingham, h): Krul, Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez, Lovenkrands (Ranger 71), Ameobi. Subs not used: Harper, R Taylor, Ferguson, Donaldson, Tavernier, Kuqi.