Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino thinks that Fernando Torres is on "borrowed time" at Stamford Bridge after losing his spot to Didier Drogba against Liverpool last weekend.
The 27-year-old has had a mismatched start to his career with the former Premier League champions, scoring just three goals in 23 appearances.
The Spain international also had to relinquish a starting position in the Blues' 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, making an appearance against his former club in the remaining ten minutes of the match.
"It must be becoming clearer by the day to Fernando Torres that he is on borrowed time at Stamford Bridge," Cascarino wrote in The Times. "The writing was on the wall when the Spain forward was left out of the Liverpool game.
"If ever there was a match you would expect to play in, it is against former teammates whose weaknesses you know intimately. The message sent out is that Torres is second choice for the must-win matches. Didier Drogba led the line [against Leverkusen] and his touch of class brought Chelsea the lead.
"But the Ivorian is closing in on 34. He will not be the man who shapes Andre Villas-Boas's future. Neither will Torres - who should be at his peak at 27 - by the looks of it."
Cascarino believes that there are "no longer any excuses" for the ex-Atletico Madrid star's dip in form.
"Torres had a full pre-season and came out flying against Stoke City on the first weekend of the campaign," he added.
"Everyone thought his problems were over but, since his sending-off against Swansea City, he has reverted to that peripheral figure of the spring. Increasingly, he does not appear to be a part of Villas-Boas's plans."
While the London side's Premier League campaign has hit a low point, Andre Villas-Boas's side is also facing a Champions League exit after losing 2-1 to Bayer Leverkusen last night.
Danielle Joynson
