EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL

Chelsea are without Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Rubin Kazan at Stamford Bridge.

Left-back Cole has a hamstring injury, while central defender Cahill is sidelined with a knee injury.

Demba Ba is ineligible after playing for Newcastle in the group stage.The Russian visitors will be without striker Alexander Ryazantsev and French midfielder Yann M'Vila, who both miss the trip to London through injury."I have to pick a team that can win any game," said Benitez. "You have to approach the next game like the most important game.

"Sometimes we will pick one team for one game and we will change three, four, seven players for the next one. That is the way to compete and to be capable of winning in every competition.

"Rubin can score goals away, they will try to do that. It will be tough. It's important to score and to do well."

Rubin are competing in the last eight of a European competition for the first time after beating holders Atletico Madrid in the last 32 and their Spanish compatriots Levante in the last round.

Rubin manager Kurban Berdyev believes Chelsea are the toughest quarter-final opponents they could have faced.

"However, for us, it will become just an extra motivating factor that will make this tie more attractive," said Berdyev.

"We will try to give our best in these matches against a top English team to perform at their level."

They also have fitness concerns over midfielder Alan Kasaev, who was ruled out of their weekend league win against Lokomotiv Moscow.

Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez is expected to reshuffle his starting XI as the Blues prepare for their third match in six days.

The Spaniard was forced to defend his team selection after his much-changed side were beaten 2-1 at Southampton on Saturday - a result which hindered their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish.

He made another seven changes for Monday's FA Cup quarter-final win against Manchester United and the move paid dividends as Chelsea reached the competition's semi-finals for the fifth time in seven years.

Benitez will be forced to make at least two changes from that team with the absences of Cole and Ba.

Cole, 32, could be sidelined for two weeks after being substituted after 21 minutes against United and, along with Cahill, looks set to miss next week's return leg in Russia.