Chelsea chalk up a half-century of games for the season in Bucharest with Rafael Benitez admitting the “hardest part” of his job is to convince senior players in his squad that they need to be rested for certain matches with the onerous fixture schedule in mind.

The captain, John Terry, is expected to return to the line-up against Steaua but Ramires and Victor Moses have not travelled and Frank Lampard, Juan Mata and Ashley Cole may start on the bench. “I have to convince the players they cannot play every single game,” said Benitez. “I have to say: ‘Listen, I know that you can do well but just in case you will be tired we need fresh legs and we have to use the squad’. That is my job, to manage the squad, but it is the hardest part.”

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1, probable): Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Bertrand; Mikel, David Luiz; Oscar, Benayoun, E Hazard; Torres.