Blues look to end 2012 with a bang, lineups and gamethread

Clive Rose

The Blues will be looking for a win to end the calendar year, and Everton will be without their best player.

Chelsea will look to move back into third place in the Premier League table, as they play one of their games in hand on Sunday. They'll be facing Everton without their best player, so they probably couldn't pick a better time to do so. Here are the starting lineups and benches for both clubs:

Chelsea starting lineup: Petr Cech, Cesar Azpilicueta, Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill. Ashley Cole, David Luiz, Frank Lampard, Ramires, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Fernando Torres

Chelsea bench: Ross Turnbull, Paulo Ferreira, Nathan Ake, Oscar, Marko Marin, Lucas Piazon, Victor Moses

Everton starting lineup: Howard; Jagielka, Distin, Heitinga, Baines; Naismith, Osman, Hitzlsperger, Pienaar; Jelavic, Anichebe

Everton bench: Mucha, Oviedo, Gueye, Barkley, Vellios, Duffy, Browning

Again, Chelsea have omitted Daniel Sturridge from both the bench and lineup. If you still had any doubts about his impending transfer to Liverpool, you really shouldn't.

As always, don't link or direct to illegal streams, and try to be civil to one another even if Chelsea don't score 45 seconds into the game. Let's go Blues!