Stoke City vs Chelsea team news: Cesc Fabregas remains on the bench as Gary Cahill dropped

Jose Mourinho, who will not be in attendance, continues to keep his Spanish playmaker on the bench

Jose Mourinho has left Cesc Fabregas out of his Chelsea side for the second Premier League fixture running ahead of this evening's late kick-off against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.

The Portuguese coach, who will not be in attendance at the game while he serves a one-match stadium ban, has also dropped Gary Cahill, preferring to include summer signing Baba Rahman as part of his back four.

In the only other change from the side that lost 3-1 to Liverpool last weekend, Nemanja Matic is restored to the line-up in the place of John Obi Mikel.

Mark Hughes' Stoke are unchanged from last weekend's 0-0 draw against Newcastle United.

The Welshman has reserved a place on the substitutes' bench for Peter Crouch, whose height could cause problems for a defence which has repeatedly conceded goals in the air so far this season.

Line-ups

Stoke City: Butland, Johnson, Pieters, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Adam, Whelan, Shaqiri, Bojan, Arnautovic, Walters

Haugaard, Ireland, Wilson, Afellay, Diouf, Cameron, Crouch

Chelsea: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Terry, Baba; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Hazard, Pedro; Diego Costa

Subs: Amelia, Cahill, Mikel, Fabregas, Oscar, Kenedy, Remy