Chelsea will be glad to see the back of November when they welcome Southampton to Stamford Bridge on December 1st after a disappointing midweek defeat to FC Basel. Via Sky Sports, Jose Mourinho conceded after the game that he should have made more changes from the side that had won at West Ham and with his assessment of his team as “tired” he will certainly ring the changes.
In his regular Friday press conference as per Chelsea's official website, the Special One confirmed that Ashley Cole will return to the starting XI, telling the gathered media:
Ashley will play for sure. His attitude is phenomenal as always. He has the same attitude today as when he trained with me for the first time. He went through a difficult period, yes, and (Cesar) Azpilicueta is playing fantastic, but Ashley's attitude is an example.

With David Luiz not match-fit following a knee injury, the centre-half pairing of Gary Cahill and John Terry will retain their first-choice status. However, if one of them needs a rest, Branislav Ivanovic is more than capable of deputising in the middle, with Azpilicueta moving across to his natural position at right-back.
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There is hope for the players who have spent more time on the bench than on the pitch too, as Mourinho said:
We have lots of matches, so now is the time for the squad and now is the time for everybody to feel they have a chance. We play on Sunday, then Wednesday, then Saturday, against Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke—the SSS week—so everybody will have a chance.
The switch to a 4-3-3 paid dividends against West Ham, but it is likely that Mourinho will revert to a 4-2-3-1 for this match at least. Frank Lampard will be feeling the fatigue more than most and is likely to be replaced by John Obi Mikel, while Ramires’ super-human stamina will keep him in the lineup.
Oscar has played the majority of Chelsea’s games this season and should sit this one out ahead of the congested Christmas fixture list. Juan Mata has been the subject of intense transfer speculation as per The Express, but should start against the Saints, with Andre Schurrle and Willian either side of him.
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Samuel Eto’o left the game in Switzerland on a stretcher, sparking serious concern for Chelsea supporters. A scan has revealed a muscular injury that will see him sidelined for two weeks, giving Fernando Torres the chance to continue the form he showed before his own muscular injury.
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Southampton have been this season’s surprise package in the Premier League and are just two points behind the Blues in fifth place. They have beaten Liverpool at Anfield and nicked an equaliser to draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford and won't be intimidated by The Special One's record at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho will certainly be wary of the threat posed by English trio Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert who played well in their defeat to Arsenal last weekend. Despite this, the fresh legs in this Chelsea XI should see them return to winning ways on Sunday.