Chelsea must send out an attacking line-up in a bid to claw back a two-goal deficit in their Champions League semi-final against Monaco on Wednesday, while Deportivo Coruna can be more patient against Porto on Tuesday.

Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri was criticised for playing three strikers in the second half of the first leg, allowing the French side, reduced to 10 men, to build a 3-1 lead.

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But the English premier league team must take chances since they need to win 2-0 or by three clear goals to reach the May 26 final in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. A 3-1 victory would take the tie into extra time.

"We have a final chance," Ranieri said. "It's important to try to put on our best performance and maybe Monaco must do their worst. Everything is possible."

Chelsea went four league games without a win last month but bounced back with a 4-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday. However, speculation about Ranieri's future continues after his team's humiliation in Monaco when the 'Tinkerman' accepted the blame for his substitutions.

The Italian said he paid the price for respecting Monaco too much after midfielder Andreas Zikos was sent off seven minutes into the second half following a clash with Claude Makelele, who was booked and misses the second leg.

"I know roughly my team for Wednesday. For this reason, I put Makelele on the bench because I wanted to see Geremi and Frank Lampard together in the middle," Ranieri said after the Southampton game.

GOOD FORM

Monaco have been in good form, keeping their Ligue 1 title ambitions alive with a 2-1 victory at neighbours Nice on Friday thanks to a splendid winner by captain Ludovic Giuly.

The bad news for coach Didier Deschamps were injuries to playmaker Jerome Rothen and striker Dado Prso.

"We lost two players and I hope they'll be fit for Chelsea. It's important to win games these days but at least, in London, we will not need victory," Deschamps said.

Rothen is unlikely to play but Prso has a chance and Monaco could welcome back central defender Sebastien Squillaci, who has been struggling with a thigh problem.

Chelsea also have injury problems, with winger Damien Duff probably out for the season after dislocating his shoulder again.

France defender William Gallas, Romania forward Adrian Mutu, England midfielder Scott Parker and Nigeria full back Celestine Babayaro are all struggling but Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is fit again. Captain Marcel Desailly will join his compatriot Makelele on the sidelines after being banned for elbowing Monaco striker Fernando Morientes in the first leg.

Hosts Deportivo can afford to be patient after securing a 0-0 draw in Porto but without an away goal the Spanish side could be vulnerable on the counter-attack against the Portuguese champions.

Porto, the only team in the last four to have won the European Cup, back in 1987, suffered their second league defeat of the season on Friday but with their 19th title secured coach Jose Mourinho chose to rest several players.

Porto finished the match with 10 men after midfielder Ricardo Fernandes was dismissed but they did avoid any serious injuries.

Deportivo also fielded a shadow team against Real Madrid at the Riazor on Saturday but still managed to win 2-0. They will be without suspended midfielder Mauro Silva and Portuguese defender Jorge Andrade, who was sent off in Porto.