The past week and a half has been nothing short of hectic for Chelsea. First the Blues resumed their Champions League action by taking on Slovenian side Maribor at home, which was followed then by a spicy clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Then, just two days later it was again on the road versus Shrewsbury Town in the Capital One Cup, a game that they needed an own goal to squeak by and last weekend took on QPR in a match that left Jose Mourinho less than impressed, despite grinding out a win against the relegation-threatened side.
Nonetheless, Chelsea could wrap up their Champions League group stage campaign by defeating Maribor, something that, given how they cruised to a comfortable 6-0 win in the home fixture should not be too much of a tough task. They will also have to hope that Portuguese powerhouse Sporting also lose to Bundesliga outfit Schalke to secure passage to the round of 16.
And yet, despite the obvious odds in their favor, Branislav Ivanovic has warned his teammates of the tough atmosphere they could face in the Eastern European nation.
"I have played here with my national team and the atmosphere will be very hot," the Serbian international stated to Chelsea's website.
"We expect a tough opponent and a very difficult game but it is very important for us to finish the group well and [secure] first place as soon as possible, so I hope we will approach the game like [we did] in London.
"[However], all the Maribor players are thinking about this game, because when they saw the Champions League group and they saw Chelsea, they wanted to play in this stadium against us, and their motivation will be massive."
In terms of personnel, Diego Costa has recovered from both his illness and injury woes to be included in the traveling squad, but fellow striker Loic Remy is still out after suffering a groin injury back on October 21st. With Liverpool next on the list, though, it will be interesting to see whether the Brazilian attacker will be given a run-out to get in some game time.
However, there is veteran Didier Drogba, who has scored three goals in the team's last quartet of matches who could again lead the line for Mourinho's troops. Additionally, this game could definitely represent a chance for some of the team's youngsters to earn some valuable experience on the continental stage.
Interestingly, the hosts are still defiant, despite the clear gulf in class between the teams and will be keen on giving their all in front of their home fans.
"Even though [we're facing] a team [like] Chelsea, who scored six goals at home, we will not give up and we will not surrender in advance," midfielder Ales Mertelj noted on the club's official website.
Certainly, that attitude will please Maribor's fans, who know that a loss will effectively end their Champions League campaign. In any case, Chelsea's supporters will hope that the team will quickly wrap things up and turn their attention towards maintaining their unbeaten record as they face off against the Reds on Saturday.
Chelsea's lineup: Cech; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry (c), Filipe Luis; Matic, Fabregas; Schurrle, Willian, Hazard; Drogba.
Chelsea's bench: Courtois, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Ramires, Oscar, Salah, Diego Costa.
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