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Blues hit by keeper crisis Chelsea have been plunged into a goalkeeping crisis ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League return leg against Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

Chelsea lost first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech with a calf strain in the 2-1 opening leg defeat at the San Siro and deputy Hilario collected an abductor injury during last Sunday's 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Stoke.

The injuries have left the Blues with just Ross Turnbull and Rhys Taylor available for the Barclays Premier League clash with West Ham.

The pair are likely to be on duty against Milan in their return last-16 tie as coach Carlo Ancelotti admits it is unlikely Hilario or Cech will have recovered in time to play.

The loss of Hilario is a real blow for Ancelotti as Turnbull has made just two appearances for the club this season.

Turnbull, who joined on a free transfer from Middlesbrough last summer, played in the 4-0 Carling Cup win over Bolton and Chelsea's 2-2 draw with APOEL in this season's Champions League group stage.

"We have a problem with the goalkeepers," admitted Ancelotti. "We don't know if Hilario or Petr are able to play on Tuesday.

"I want to put the best line-up out because it's an important game. We don't have to think about the Inter game.

"We need to win and go back to the top of the table, so I want to put the best players out. But we have problems. Michael Essien, Ashley Cole, and Jose Bosingwa are out. Also Ricardo Carvalho and Hilario is not able to play. So, in goal, Turnbull will play.

"Cech is doing physiotherapy. He did not train on the pitch, so it's very difficult for him to recover for Tuesday.

"Hilario had a problem against Stoke and has not been able to train this week. An Adductor muscle in his groin is the problem. On the bench will go Rhys Taylor, our young goalkeeper from the reserve team.

"I'm not worried. The performance of the team does not rely upon the goalkeeper. I don't want to say we can play without a goalkeeper, because that's an important player for the team, but I have confidence in Turnbull.

"He has not played a lot of games this season but, with the work with our goalkeeping coach, he has improved very well. I have no problem about playing Turnbull against Inter Milan." Meanwhile, West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola believes his team need 10 more points to beat the drop - and is challenging his players to upset the form book and pick three of them up at his former club.

The Hammers' disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Bolton last weekend leaves them on 27 points, three above the Barclays Premier League relegation zone with 10 matches remaining.

With their next two games coming away at title challengers Chelsea and Arsenal, many believe it will be West Ham's final eight fixtures which will determine whether they reach the 37-point mark demanded by Zola.

But the Italian sees no reason why the recovery following the loss to Bolton cannot start at Stamford Bridge, a ground where he served Chelsea with distinction between 1996 and 2003.

"Personally, I think 37 should make it for us," Zola said, when asked how many points his team will need to secure their top-flight status.

"Some people are saying less, but I want to be sure that 37 will be a good target for us.

"It will be fantastic for me to win at Stamford Bridge. The situation is that we need those points. For me and my team, I think it will be a big boost forward.

"I think we have enough quality here to do it. But we have to improve our consistency." Zola will make changes to his team, in terms of both preparation and personnel, for the Chelsea match.

Fit-again centre-back Danny Gabbidon is set to come into the line-up in place of James Tomkins, who was arguably at fault for both goals West Ham conceded against Bolton.

England striker Carlton Cole could start up front on his own, with Zola reverting to a 4-5-1 formation as he looks to improve his side's dreadful away record this season.

Chelsea vs West Ham

Last modified 22:34 13/03/10

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Didier Drogba’s brace helped Chelsea ­reclaim top spot and heaped further relegation pressure on West Ham.

But it was Florent ­Malouda running the show as the Blues stole a march on Manchester United, who play today.

The Frenchman was in ­outstanding form, providing telling crosses for two of the Chelsea goals and scoring a third before leaving the field to a standing ovation from the home crowd.

It was a performance ­that marginally outshadowed that of Drogba who took his ­season’s tally to 27.

Scott Parker cancelled out Chelsea’s opening goal, which had come courtesy of defender Alex, but the ­visitors rarely looked ­capable of causing an upset and more than justified their lowly ­position in the league.

“This was an important win for us — every game now will decide our future,” said Carlo Ancelotti.

“After the home defeat against Manchester City it was important to see a ­reaction against Stoke in the FA Cup and here against West Ham in the league and I think I got that. We played with confidence and it’s ­important we continue to do that.”

Ancelotti added: “That was the best performance of Malouda. He played well for the team, created and scored a goal.

“I just hope he plays like that On Tuesday night against Inter Milan because the match is balanced and we will need to be at our best to win.

“And in this moment we are at our best which encourages me.”

Gianfranco Zola claimed his players didn’t deserve to be on the end of such a heavy ­defeat.

“The result in the end doesn’t reflect the way the game went and I felt sorry for my players because I didn’t feel they ­deserved that.

“Until the second goal we looked okay. But once that went in it killed us.

“Up to then I thought we had a chance. I thought that ­Parker was dominating the midfield and we looked capable of ­getting something from the match.

“The problem is Chelsea are a great side and one thing you can be certain of is if you make mistakes they will punish you.”

It has been eight years since the Hammers celebrated ­victory in Chelsea’s back yard and with just one win on the road this season ­— on the opening day of the campaign at Wolves — the odds were heavily stacked against the visitors taking anything from this visit.

Yet after a rather lethargic start by Chelsea, West Ham could and should have taken the lead just 12 minutes into the game.

The home defence was all over the place when Mido pulled the ball back for the unmarked Araujo Ilan.

It appeared easier to score but the ­hapless marksman didn’t even hit the target.

They were left to rue the miss some four minutes later when Alex headed home Malouda’s cross.

It looked set to be plain sailing for the Blues as they tore forward looking for a second. Yet for all their possession they were ­struggling to trouble Robert Green in the visitors’ goal.

They were to pay for their failings when West Ham drew level on the half hour.

Parker, who had played 21 games for the Blues and scored just one solitary goal, ­unleashed a 25-yard drive after Michael Essien had headed Kieron Dyer’s ­throw-in in to his path.

The ball flew over debutant goalkeeper Ross Turnbull and West Ham were back in it from nowhere.

As expected, Chelsea ­responded, but the visitors were digging deep.

Chelsea eventually regained the lead when Drogba headed home Malouda’s left-wing cross 11 minutes into the ­second period.

It should have been three shortly after, but Green pulled off an impressive save, diving low to his right to keep out Alex’s header.

With Fabio Capello in ­attendance it wasn’t a good day for the two Coles, Carlton and Joe, to have been left on the bench by their respective clubs. And even after the ­introduction of both of them, chances were few and far ­between.

Malouda changed that 13 minutes from time when he cut infield on to his ­favoured left foot and fired home inside the near post.

Drogba had justifiable ­appeals for a penalty minutes later but referee Mark ­Clattenburg waved away his claims, clearly unsighted.

Then West Ham had to thank the outside of the post for keeping the scoreline down when Frank Lampard had looked certain to convert.

The England midfielder was denied again in the last minute of the game, but when Green palmed the ball straight into the path of Drogba he made no mistake.