Azpilicueta: Just how much will we miss "Dave"?

Although reports state that Cesar Azpilicueta''s muscle strain is not as bad as first feared, the Spanish defender faces a couple of weeks on the sidelines and looks set to miss games against Swansea and Liverpool. I just wonder how much we will come to miss him?

I have no doubt at all of Filipe Luis' quality and I am sure he will step into the side making the transition between the two as seamless as possible; I do believe however that Azpilicueta is a better defender.

Filipe Luis gives us a better option down that left hand side when we are going forward; of that there is little doubt. His ability to cross the ball is far better than Azpilicueta and he will have much more of an influence.

It's in defensive areas that worries me. These games we have coming up in the next two to three weeks will be difficult. Swansea at home in the Premier League with Luis up against the likes of Dyer and Routledge is a concern as he had been roasted on more than one occasion already this season.

Then onto Liverpool at Anfield, another difficult game and we will need Luis to be defensively solid in this one to give us an advantage to bring back to Stamford Bridge.

The FA Cup tie against either Bradford or Millwall will follow in two weeks time; closely followed by the return leg against Liverpool. Manchester City then await in the Premier League at the end of the month but we hope Azpilicueta will be back by then.

Nominated as one of the best defenders in the Premier League by Gary Neville & Jamie Carragher this season, "Dave" has been one of our most consistent performers and will be missed.

How much do you think his absence will affect us in the next few weeks?