Carlo Ancelotti has revealed Frank Lampard will not take part in Chelsea's game against Marseille on Tuesday night.
Our midfield maestro needs more time to recover before playing and is not expected to take part in Sunday's clash with Arsenal, nor represent England during the international break.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash, Ancelotti said John Terry will start the game as well as Nicolas Anelka, while Didier Drogba misses the fixture due to his two-match ban.
'Lampard can't play on Tuesday. If he doesn't play with us, he is not able to play for the national team.
'He needs more time than we expected for his rest. After these games there will be an international break and he will be ready for the games after the international break.
'For now we have to choose [who else to play] up front. Sure we will start [Florent] Malouda and Anelka but we will have to choose the right position up front.
'It could [Daniel] Sturridge or [Gael] Kakuta, I could put these two players in, they are ready.
'From the beginning, McEachran will go on the bench; he will be ready to go onto the pitch if it is necessary. John Terry will play.'
Questions were raised over Anelka's mind set going into the game, following a turbulent time with France during the World Cup.
But knowing the striker better than most, Ancelotti insisted the striker will not be affected by the fact our opponents are from his homeland, nor that the game will be live on French television.
'Nicolas is always quiet,' reported the manager. 'I don't think he will be afraid or scared because the game is on French television. He is in a fantastic moment and he will play for the team as he always does.
'He is able to play in every position up front. For his kind of skills he is perfect to play up front because he has speed, he has quality and he can support the players who come back from midfield.
'He is a fantastic striker for this reason. He is able to play in every position on the pitch.'
Having managed former Blue Didier Deschamps for six months while at Juventus, Ancelotti knows the opposition manager well, and the way his side plays.
However, the Italian was keen not to single out one individual Marseille player as a threat to Chelsea.
'OM [Olympique Marseille] is a good team, with good organization,' said Ancelotti. 'They use attacking play and they are quick.
'We know everything about the individual skills they have but it is difficult to say who is the most dangerous. Usually the most dangerous players are the strikers.
'My players will know everything about the opponent but the most important thing is our play. Obviously we will know the skills of the opponent's team but we must play our way. If we play our best, we will win.'
The game comes on the back of consecutive defeats, which could spur the side into action, but Ancelotti believes the Blues will not think of the previous performances when playing tomorrow night.
'I don't ask them to have a reaction,' insisted the Italian. 'We just have to play our football.
'We have to pay attention and get the points from this game. I don't need to see a reaction from my players; they will have a good game because it is an important game for us to arrive at the top of the group. It is just for this.'
Our midfield maestro needs more time to recover before playing and is not expected to take part in Sunday's clash with Arsenal, nor represent England during the international break.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash, Ancelotti said John Terry will start the game as well as Nicolas Anelka, while Didier Drogba misses the fixture due to his two-match ban.
'Lampard can't play on Tuesday. If he doesn't play with us, he is not able to play for the national team.
'He needs more time than we expected for his rest. After these games there will be an international break and he will be ready for the games after the international break.
'For now we have to choose [who else to play] up front. Sure we will start [Florent] Malouda and Anelka but we will have to choose the right position up front.
'It could [Daniel] Sturridge or [Gael] Kakuta, I could put these two players in, they are ready.
'From the beginning, McEachran will go on the bench; he will be ready to go onto the pitch if it is necessary. John Terry will play.'
Questions were raised over Anelka's mind set going into the game, following a turbulent time with France during the World Cup.
But knowing the striker better than most, Ancelotti insisted the striker will not be affected by the fact our opponents are from his homeland, nor that the game will be live on French television.
'Nicolas is always quiet,' reported the manager. 'I don't think he will be afraid or scared because the game is on French television. He is in a fantastic moment and he will play for the team as he always does.
'He is able to play in every position up front. For his kind of skills he is perfect to play up front because he has speed, he has quality and he can support the players who come back from midfield.
'He is a fantastic striker for this reason. He is able to play in every position on the pitch.'
Having managed former Blue Didier Deschamps for six months while at Juventus, Ancelotti knows the opposition manager well, and the way his side plays.
However, the Italian was keen not to single out one individual Marseille player as a threat to Chelsea.
'OM [Olympique Marseille] is a good team, with good organization,' said Ancelotti. 'They use attacking play and they are quick.
'We know everything about the individual skills they have but it is difficult to say who is the most dangerous. Usually the most dangerous players are the strikers.
'My players will know everything about the opponent but the most important thing is our play. Obviously we will know the skills of the opponent's team but we must play our way. If we play our best, we will win.'
The game comes on the back of consecutive defeats, which could spur the side into action, but Ancelotti believes the Blues will not think of the previous performances when playing tomorrow night.
'I don't ask them to have a reaction,' insisted the Italian. 'We just have to play our football.
'We have to pay attention and get the points from this game. I don't need to see a reaction from my players; they will have a good game because it is an important game for us to arrive at the top of the group. It is just for this.'
No comments:
Post a Comment