Atletico Madrid skipper Gabi has claimed that he would "prefer it" if Chelsea forward Fernando Torres did not feature at the Vicente Calderon tonight.

Atletico welcome Chelsea to Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final this evening, with Torres expected to feature against his first professional club.

"Fernando Torres is a hugely influential big-game player," he told Marca.

"It's up to his coach whether he starts or not, but I'd prefer it if he didn't because he's a cracking player. This is going to be an emotional game for Fernando, because he hasn't yet had the chance to return to his boyhood club.

"Every Atlético fan is grateful for everything he did for this club. This game is a vital one for us so we'll leave the pleasantries until after the final whistle."

Torres represented the Spanish outfit between 1995 and 2007.