Former footballer Michael Owen believes that Chelsea striker Fernando Torres could be on his way back to top form.

The Spaniard has been criticised for failing to recreate the form he possessed while at Liverpool before moving to Stamford Bridge for £50m in January 2011.

However, the 29-year-old received plaudits this week for scoring a brace in the Blues' 3-0 win over Schalke in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"He looks like he has got the bit back between his teeth again," The Express quotes Owen as saying. "He scored in midweek and looks as if he is a little bit more confident again.

"It has been a difficult one. Yes, he has had a couple of injuries but I didn't think he suffered from anything significant enough to justify such a sharp drop in his form. It is one of football's great mysteries."

Torres could start in Chelsea's Premier League encounter against Manchester City on Sunday.