Let's try not to get carried away - Our Midfield.

Our midfield performance against Sunderland excluding Mikel, wasn't good enough at all and the Terry, Alex injury "crisis" has taken most of the spotlight away from how bad it was.

After looking at our defensive option for the next three weeks or so, I decided to have a look at our midfield options. We have Birmingham away without Essien in the league, Zilina at home where Essien is back and then Newcastle away without Essien. Like I said in my last post, let's face facts, it could have been alot worse!.

Mikel was outstanding against Sunderland and in the next few weeks more than ever has an important part to play. It was just a shame that Zhirkov and Ramires didn't and were all over the place. They got found out bigtime.

So with hard midfield games against Birmingham and Newcastle coming up in the League we need to sort things out. What I feel Chelsea are missing and have been missing in our midfield and I have said it before is Essien's driving force and Lampard.

Never before has Frank Lampard been missed so much as he has been in recent weeks. His passing, his movement, work rate, killer ball and late runs into the box is something we have missed and it has effected the Chelsea team. So knowing Lampard is out for another couple of weeks, we have to face these two and come up with a solution that is better than what we watched and had to endure at the Bridge on Sunday.

It's my opinion that we drop Zhirkov and Ramires to the bench for these two games. Zhirkov isn't a central midfield player and has a tendency to drift out wide left and with Cole and Malouda down that side already we can afford to take him out for two games. Ramires bless him, is still trying to come to terms with the pace and power of the English game and needs time.

Let's be honest for a midfield of Lee Cattermole and Henderson to overrun and outplay our midfield then we have a problem and that's no disrespect to those two players.

The keys to Chelsea's midfield is the shape with Mikel holding to pick up loose balls, make his tackles, win possession and provide cover to our defence. The other key focal point of our midfield is the two either side of him. There is a requirement for these two to get the ball and play it and get forward. For example, the way Lampard plays. These two provide an important link to the front three. We lacked this against Sunderland and the front three had a minimal effect on the game.

I believe we switch Malouda inside to play where Zhirkov had been to the left of Mikel. Malouda is comfortable on the ball, likes to get forward, has a killer pass in him and can score goals and would be ideal to play there.

Next to Malouda and to the right of Mikel should be Josh McEachran. Ok he is lightweight but look at Jack Wilshire at the Arse. If there is one player who is more than comfortable on the ball, a player who I don't think I have seen give the ball away since he has been on the pitch so far this season and a player who can knock the ball about and has the killer ball in him, then it's Josh.

I made a point for the young Bruma in my last post and I will make the same again for McEachran. He is undoubted talent and now is the time for Carlo to take a chance. Against Birmingham and Newcastle it will be a battle in midfield. McEachran and Malouda can open the door for Chelsea and of that there is no question.

Class makes a difference in football and these two next to Mikel in the place of Zhirkov and Ramires could be the difference to put Chelsea back on the front foot in these game coming up that have turned out to the biggest two games of our season so far.

What do you guys think? Malouda and McEachran for Zhirkov and Ramires?

KTBFFH.

Follow me on Twitter @chelseadaft.