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Last Updated: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:21
Alex will replace suspended skipper John Terry for Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final second leg at home to Liverpool on Tuesday.
The Brazilian is to be included by boss Guus Hiddink after Terry picked up a one-game suspension when he was booked for a challenge on Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina in last week's 3-1 first leg win at Anfield. Alex will link up with Ricardo Carvalho in the centre of the defence, while several other key players are injured for the tie.
Right-back Jose Bosingwa is expected to be sidelined because of hamstring trouble, while Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira are absent with knee ligament injuries.
Hiddink is set to stick with Didier Drogba in attack ahead of Nicolas Anelka, having scored seven goals in 10 games since he arrived as manager.
Meanwhile Hiddink insists Chelsea will not be sitting back and resting on the 3-1 lead they secured in last Wednesday's away leg as they look to book a place in the semi finals.
"It cannot be a cautious game where you have a kind of balance in a game where nothing happens for an hour, then maybe a team takes some risks at the end," said Hiddink.
"That's not in both team's souls. We have to go for the win at home.
"Going 4-0 up against Bolton and then conceding as we did was like an alarm clock ringing for this upcoming game.
"We should have controlled the last part of the game. We can concede one, at 4-1, but one alarm bell is enough.
"We've prepared very seriously. A lot of people have said, if you win an away game in Europe like we did, then you won't have any concerns for the second game.
"But we're not thinking like that. Liverpool are a very good team who play beautiful football, and we're very aware of that.
"There is no such reason, whatever the team you are playing against, but especially Liverpool with what they did in the past, to have complacency."
Alex will replace suspended skipper John Terry for Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final second leg at home to Liverpool on Tuesday.
The Brazilian is to be included by boss Guus Hiddink after Terry picked up a one-game suspension when he was booked for a challenge on Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina in last week's 3-1 first leg win at Anfield. Alex will link up with Ricardo Carvalho in the centre of the defence, while several other key players are injured for the tie.
Right-back Jose Bosingwa is expected to be sidelined because of hamstring trouble, while Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira are absent with knee ligament injuries.
Hiddink is set to stick with Didier Drogba in attack ahead of Nicolas Anelka, having scored seven goals in 10 games since he arrived as manager.
Meanwhile Hiddink insists Chelsea will not be sitting back and resting on the 3-1 lead they secured in last Wednesday's away leg as they look to book a place in the semi finals.
"It cannot be a cautious game where you have a kind of balance in a game where nothing happens for an hour, then maybe a team takes some risks at the end," said Hiddink.
"That's not in both team's souls. We have to go for the win at home.
"Going 4-0 up against Bolton and then conceding as we did was like an alarm clock ringing for this upcoming game.
"We should have controlled the last part of the game. We can concede one, at 4-1, but one alarm bell is enough.
"We've prepared very seriously. A lot of people have said, if you win an away game in Europe like we did, then you won't have any concerns for the second game.
"But we're not thinking like that. Liverpool are a very good team who play beautiful football, and we're very aware of that.
"There is no such reason, whatever the team you are playing against, but especially Liverpool with what they did in the past, to have complacency."