Steve Agnew is hoping to put the brakes on Antonio Conte's surge towards a first Premier League title to keep Middlesbrough's survival hopes alive.
Boro would slip ever closer to relegation if they failed to win at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening, while Conte's Chelsea would take a significant step towards the title with a victory which would stretch their lead over second-placed Tottenham to seven points.
That would represent a major achievement for the Italian, who swapped his job as national boss of his native country for the hot seat at Chelsea during the summer and has led them irrepressibly to the brink of glory.