Avram Grant faces a selection crisis as he tries to keep Chelsea's title challenge on track against Newcastle United on Saturday. The thrilling 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday has left the Israeli with serious problems.

Ricardo Carvalho is suspended and Ashley Cole is awaiting the result of the club's appeal against his ban. That only scratches the surface of Grant's selection crisis. England midfielder Frank Lampard has suffered a torn thigh muscle which will force him out for several weeks, while John Terry, Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda are also injured.

These are testing times for Chelsea, as they currently trail league leaders Manchester United by seven points. With more key players set to be absent next month in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Grant's side can't afford any slip-up against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

"I am waiting for the day when we can be like the other teams and have all my players," Grant said. "I think it will come one day.

"It is not easy times but since the first day here it has not been easy. But we will continue to try our best and as long as we have a chance we will do everything to challenge."

Michael Ballack is expected to be handed a starting role in place of Lampard, while Tal Ben Haim and Wayne Bridge are on standby to begin in defence.

Skipper switch
Meanwhile, under-pressure Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce will resist the temptation to throw Michael Owen straight back into fray against Chelsea. The former Bolton Wanderers gaffer is back in the spotlight after poor back-to-back displays in picking up a single point against strugglers Derby County and Wigan Athletic ahead of Saturday's trip to West London.

Owen is set to return after six weeks out with a hamstring injury sustained on England duty as Newcastle go in search of their first ever Premier League win at Chelsea at the 16th attempt. But despite Newcastle's lack of cutting edge, the £17 million record signing will have to make his return from the substitutes' bench.

Allardyce is erring on the side of caution largely due to Owen's lack of reserve-team match action during a rehabilitation which has involved treatment from renowned German doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfhart to speed his recovery. "Michael's not had enough match practice under his belt," insisted Allardyce whose problems deepened early Friday when it was revealed that his controversial midfielder Joey Barton had been charged with assault after an incident in Liverpool.

Geremi insists he has not been stripped of the Newcastle captaincy despite Alan Smith being set to lead the side out against Chelsea after taking the armband from the Cameroon international at the JJB Stadium. Allardyce claims the move is due to the former Chelsea midfielder's imminent Ghana 2008 involvement.

"Alan will be captain while I'm away," said Geremi. "The manager told me the decision for him to be captain was to get him ready for the responsibility while I'm gone."

Allardyce added: "It's a permanent decision for now because Geremi is going away to the African Nations. We need to establish somebody who can captain the side on a regular basis with the attitude, desire and commitment that Alan shows.

"We need to see that from all the players, because you cannot win a Premier League match without that level of commitment from everyone."