• Torres is confident, says manager ahead of visit to Swansea
• Striker's last league goal came against same opposition
André Villas-Boas is confident Fernando Torres will eventually be rewarded for his encouraging recent displays and return to goalscoring form, with the Spain international seeking his first goal in the Premier League in over four months at Swansea City tomorrow.
Torres marks a year as a Chelsea player tomorrow nightfollowing his British record £50m transfer from Liverpool having mustered only three league goals in 31 appearances in that time. The last of those came against Swansea in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge on 24 September, a game which also saw the 27-year-old sent off, incurring a three-match ban which served to set back his early-season improvement.
There have been 11 scoreless league games since, although Torres has earned praise from his manager for his industry and selfless team-work, particularly during the absence of Didier Drogba at the Africa Cup of Nations. The World Cup and European Championship winner has been devoid of fortune in recent weeks, striking the bar against Sunderland, though Villas-Boas believes that luck will soon turn.
"I think we are seeing a player growing in terms of form," said the Portuguese. "Eventually, we expect goals from it, and we hope those goals will come back. At the moment, the reality is that he has not scored [in four months], but he has been helping the team. Fernando has, equally, the most number of assists of any other players in the club, so he is producing for others as well. I think he is confident, to be fair. For the kind of effort he is putting in, eventually he will be repaid."
The striker was more peripheral in the FA Cup fourth-round victory at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday when, not for the first time, he was denied the ball in areas where once he would have threatened. "In the first half, we were a little one-paced in possession," said Villas-Boas. "He touched the ball, but not in the right areas. In the second half he was much more involved in the game, coming short and laying off the ball, giving good movement and being much more involved."
Chelsea will hope to tap into his qualities more readily on their first visit to the Liberty Stadium for a fixture in which their young midfielder, Josh McEachran, is ineligible for Swansea following his loan switch until the end of the season. Regardless, the 18-year-old's parent club is confident the player will break into the first team in Wales over the months ahead.
McEachran has started only one Premier League game to date for Chelsea, the penultimate game of last season against Newcastle, but started for City in the FA Cup fourth-round defeat at Bolton on Saturday and, having worked with Brendan Rodgers when he was reserve-team manager at Stamford Bridge, is expected to make an impact.
"Every player feels the need for more playing time," added Villas-Boas. "He has moved to Swansea and now he has to play there. Brendan, in the end, makes the best decisions for his team, and I hope Josh will triumph in that environment. To do that, when he faces maximum competition, would be beneficial for the player. Difficult, but much more beneficial. We will use our scouts and try to be present every time he plays and watch how he progresses."