Chelsea caretaker Roberto Di Matteo has "100%" confidence in Fernando Torres and has no plans to drop the misfiring striker.

The £50m Spaniard, who has not scored in 25 matches since October, refused to take a penalty in the Blues' 2-0 win over Birmingham City in midweek.

Despite his well-documented drought, Torres seems to have the full backing of his manger.

"I will persevere as long as it takes. Persevere, persevere. He's a team player. If he doesn't score and someone else does, that's fine by me," said Di Matteo.

"If Petr Cech scores and we win 1-0, I'm happy. It will come. When you work hard in life on a football pitch, it will come.

"I have total confidence in him, 100%."

The 27-year-old has been booked on seven occasions this season and scored four goals.