London: With Spain striker Fernando Torres back from a domestic ban and England prospect Daniel Sturridge in the form of his life, Chelsea will have plenty of offensive firepower on display when they host Belgian struggler Genk in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The English giants have shown more spark and creativity going forward since the arrival of Portuguese coach Andre Villas-Boas and the signing of Spain winger Juan Mata this summer — and Torres and Sturridge are reveling in the team's new attacking approach.
Torres has been returning to his best form this season, scoring in successive Premier League games against Manchester United and Swansea and also impressing against Bayer Leverkusen and Valencia in the Champions League.
Sturridge, meanwhile, is showing why he is being widely tipped as a future England regular, scoring four goals in his past four league games from his position on the right of a front three in his first prolonged spell in Chelsea's first team.
"I'd say, professionally, I think it's the best I've played," said the 22-year-old Sturridge. "In the youth team, I used to do it regularly but it comes as a surprise to me because I'm doing it in the professional game.
"I'm enjoying it and I'm happy I'm taking it into the first team."
With Genk bottom of Group E with one point and only ninth in the 16-team Belgian league, Chelsea will be confident their in-form attacking unit, that also includes Mata, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, can help extend the team's unbeaten start to the Champions League and inch closer to qualification.
Bayer Leverkusen host Valencia in the group's other match and they are set to battle it out for second place, with Chelsea expected to pick up maximum points from the double-header against Genk to move to 10 points.
Chelsea haven't lost a home match in the Champions League group stage since 2003 — a run of 24 games.
"If you can look after yourself at home, as we have done in recent years, then you should be alright," Chelsea captain John Terry said.
"Until now, we've always done well in the group stages — we've never failed to go through — and we tend to get ourselves in the right position early on."
Torres is in the middle of a three-match ban in the Premier League but is available in the Champions League, where he set up both of Chelsea's goals in a 2-0 home win over Leverkusen and led the line well in the 1-1 draw at Valencia.
Villas-Boas hinted Torres will be recalled to the team on Wednesday, with Drogba set to drop out after starting the 3-1 win over Everton on Saturday.
"If we don't decide on him, it will be a long time out of the game," Villas-Boas said of Torres.
Brazil midfielder Ramires misses out with a knee injury, joining long-term absentee Michael Essien (knee) on the sidelines, but Chelsea's squad is otherwise at full strength.
And with Villas-Boas managing expectations well in the early stages of his tenure at Chelsea and his freescoring team third in the Premier League, just behind Manchester City and Manchester United, there is a feel-good factor sweeping around Stamford Bridge.
"From what I understand from the chairman, there's confidence in the work we're doing," Villas-Boas said.
Leverkusen is second in the group on three points, one behind Chelsea, after its 2-0 win over Genk at the end of September.
"Four points from these two games would be ideal," Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling said ahead of back-to-back matches against Valencia, the Champions League runner-up in 2001.
"They are a very strong team but they still didn't manage more than a 0-0 draw in Genk. We are confident enough to play to win."
Striker Eren Derdiyok could return after being left out of the 2-2 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach over the weekend and central defender Omer Toprak should be back after being sidelined by illness.
First-choice goalkeeper Rene Adler and midfielders Tranquillo Barnetta and Renato Augusto are out with long-term injuries.
Valencia is a point behind Leverkusen but has lost just once in all competitions this season — at Sevilla in the Spanish league.
Coach Unai Emery, whose team comes into the match following a 1-1 draw at Mallorca, has no fresh injury problems.
"I don't know if a draw would be good — we are going out to win," Valencia defender Adil Rami said. "It's an important game for us because it is against a direct rival."
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