Gelsenkirchen, Dec 09: Chelsea and Besiktas train for their Champions League Match in Germany.
Gelsenkirchens stadium "Arena Auf Schalke" on Monday (December 8) played host to teams from England and Turkey training for Tuesday's Champions League game. Chelsea and Besiktas are preparing for the match which has been switched from Turkey to Germany following a recent spate of bombings in Istanbul that left 61 people dead. Besiktas will have the support of around 52,000 local Turkish fans when the match kicks off at neutral Gelsenkirchen, the venue for this season's European Cup final. The Turkish team will be looking to repeat its 2-0 defeat of Chelsea two months ago, knowing that failure will cost them a place in the final 16, but they will be without midfielder Federico Giunti, suspended after three yellow cards this season.


Chelsea will be without injured strikers Hernan Crespo who has remained in London for treatment to a calf strain and Eidur Gudjohnsen (ankle).


Adrian Mutu, who last scored a goal Everton on November 1 is likely to start in attack with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.


Cameroon midfielder Geremi, who played two seasons in Turkey, looks favourite to return to the side after missing Chelseas 1-1 draw with Leeds on Saturday. Two midfielders Emmanuel Petit (knee) and Juan Sebastian Veron (back) are still out.


Probable teams: Besiktas: 1-Oscar Cordoba; 2-Emre Asik, 5-Ronaldo Guiaro, 30-Antonio Zago, 71-Okan Koc, 3-Tayfur Havutcu, 67-Tumer Metin, 19-Ibrahim Uzumlez, 9-Daniel Pancu, 26-Ilhan Mansiz, 10-Sergen Yalcin Chelsea: 23-Carlo Cudicini; 2-Glen Johnson; 13-William Gallas, 26-John Terry, 18-Wayne Bridge; 14-Geremi, 8-Frank Lampard, 4-Claude Makelele, 11-Damien Duff; 7-Adrian Mutu, 9-Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden)


Bureau Report