Roy Hodgson backs Fernando Torres to come good

Torres is yet to score for Chelsea (GETTY IMAGES)

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson has backed Fernando Torres to come good for Chelsea.

Torres started the season at Liverpool, working under Hodgson, before joining the Blues in January - shortly after Hodgson had been sacked by the Merseyside club.

The Spain striker has made a slow start to his career at Stamford Bridge, however, and has yet to open his account for his new club after 11 games.

But Hodgson is confident the 27-year-old will soon regain his goalscoring touch, although he hopes it does not return this weekend with Chelsea due at the Hawthorns tomorrow.

He said: "(His current form) doesn't surprise me because he didn't have a good time at Liverpool from the start of the season.

"He has moved to Chelsea and everybody was hoping it was going to be night and day in terms of how he performed and it's not.

"Fernando is working hard, like he did for Liverpool, and it's not working for him.

"But it will, because he is a very good player and he is a good person as well."

Hodgson added: "Chelsea will get a lot of value from Fernando Torres and I think, even between now and the end of the season, you will see him scoring goals and doing a great job for the team.

"But I would rather he had scored a few goals before tomorrow because it's sod's law that his first goal will come against me!

"But I won't begrudge him that as long as we've got more. He can have his goal as long as we've got two!"