CHELSEA have been plunged into a goalkeeping crisis ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League return leg against Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.

Chelsea lost first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech with a calf strain in the 2-1 opening leg defeat at the San Siro and deputy Hilario collected an abductor injury during last Sunday’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Stoke.

The injuries have left the Blues with just Ross Turnbull and Rhys Taylor available for today’s Premier League clash with West Ham.

The pair are likely to be on duty against Milan in their return last-16 tie as coach Carlo Ancelotti admits it is unlikely Hilario or Cech will have recovered in time to play.

The loss of Hilario is a real blow for Ancelotti as Turnbull has made just two appearances for the club this season.

Turnbull, who joined on a free transfer from Middlesbrough last summer, played in the 4-0 Carling Cup win over Bolton and Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with APOEL in this season’s Champions League group stage.

‘‘We have a problem with the goalkeepers,’’ admitted Ancelotti. ‘‘We don’t know if Hilario or Petr are able to play on Tuesday.

‘‘Tomorrow I want to put the best line-up out because it’s an important game. We don’t have to think about the Inter game.

‘‘We need to win and go back to the top of the table, so I want to put the best players out. But we have problems.

Michael Essien, Ashley Cole, and Jose Bosingwa are out.

Also Ricardo Carvalho and Hilario is not able to play. So, in goal, Turnbull will play.

‘‘Cech is doing physiotherapy.

He did not train on the pitch, so it’s very difficult for him to recover for Tuesday.

‘‘Hilario had a problem against Stoke and has not been able to train this week.

An Adductor muscle in his groin is the problem. On the bench will go Rhys Taylor, our young goalkeeper from the reserve team.

‘‘I’m not worried. The performance of the team does not rely upon the goalkeeper. I don’t want to say we can play without a goalkeeper, because that’s an important player for the team, but I have confidence in Turnbull.

‘‘He has not played a lot of games this season but, with the work with our goalkeeping coach, he has improved very well.

‘‘I have no problem about playing Turnbull against Inter Milan.’’ Chelsea return to league action against London rivals West Ham today and that means a reunion with Gianfranco Zola.

Zola may never have arrived in the English top flight as a player with Chelsea if Ancelotti had found a way to accommodate the Italian in his Parma side back in 1996.

But Zola found himself played out of position and left for Stamford Bridge where he became a legend.

The Italian has struggled to guide West Ham out of danger at the wrong end of the Premier League but following their recent takeover by David Gold and David Sullivan, things are improving.

West Ham’s recent home form had been impressive but their defeat to Bolton last weekend could not have come at a worse time for the Hammers with visits to Chelsea and Arsenal next in line.

‘‘It was not an easy season for Gianfranco because he’s had a lot of injuries, but now, after the recovery of Carlton Cole, they have more possibility to finish the season well,’’ said Ancelotti.

‘‘I hope that West Ham stay in the Premier League because I think Zola did a good job this season. A very difficult job, but he didn’t lose his confidence or his focus.’’ But Ancelotti would not be drawn on whether former West Ham midfielder Joe Cole would play against his old club. Cole’s contract expires in the summer and he has yet to agree an extension.

His chances of a place in Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad this summer will not be helped by a lack of first team football.