Carlo Ancelotti is planning changes to his side for the visit of Blackpool, but hasn't settled on a starting 11 yet, although he knows he will again be without Frank Lampard.
The vice-captain is yet to recover fully from surgery on his groin and will continue to train individually over the weekend to strengthen muscle in that region.
Jose Bosingwa remains out although the right-back's return is imminent, but contrary to some media reports Yossi Benayoun is available for selection. Yom Kippur that keeps fellow Israelis Avram Grant and Tal Ben Haim from attending West Ham's game on Saturday will have ended before Sunday.
Benayoun is one of the players in the frame to take the place vacated by Lampard's absence, as he did in Zilina midweek, although no decision has yet been made.
'He [Benayoun] played very well first half, taking the right positions and he made two assists,' Ancelotti says.
'It is a new position for him but he can play that position because he is intelligent and we need to have intelligent players in midfield because then we can rotate places there.Yossi will take up the right positions.
'But Ramires played a good game against West Ham and he is fresh,' the manager adds, emphasising he has yet to choose the side.
'Lampard will be fit next week, for the Carling Cup I think. He is training but we don't want to take a risk.'
No-one will be surprised if Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole start versus Blackpool, both having remained at Cobham while the team was playing in Slovakia, and this rotation of the squad in the opening month is important to the team's prospects according to Ancelotti.
'I try to put my idea of football to the team but it is not my team because this club had a precise identity before I came here,' he claims.
'I have my idea of football, we changed something last year and now I think we have more confidence in our play, we have more knowledge, and for this reason we are doing well.
'We know every game could be difficult for us but the atmosphere is good now. The players are all involved in the team and I am happy for this, and if we can continue the atmosphere we can have success this year.'
People outside Chelsea have pointed to our early fixtures and claimed we will not have faced a true test before we travel to Manchester City next weekend, but Ancelotti is ignoring such talk.
'To think about the game against Man City is too far, we have to think game by game. Blackpool is a good team and they have won two games away, they are showing good spirit and so we have to pay attention, this is not an easy game.'
Finally the manager has also reacted to one of this week's hot topics - bad tackling in the Premier League, as raised by Arsene Wenger.
Firstly Ancelotti sent good wishes to Manchester United's Antonio Valencia who broke his ankle on Champions League duty.
'Valencia was unlucky because the defender didn't make a bad tackle. I want to wish him a quick recovery.
'The tempo of the game here is different from other countries but I don't think that here there are more bad tackles.
'There is fair play here and I have trust in the referees. If there is a bad tackle then the referee can judge.'
The vice-captain is yet to recover fully from surgery on his groin and will continue to train individually over the weekend to strengthen muscle in that region.
Jose Bosingwa remains out although the right-back's return is imminent, but contrary to some media reports Yossi Benayoun is available for selection. Yom Kippur that keeps fellow Israelis Avram Grant and Tal Ben Haim from attending West Ham's game on Saturday will have ended before Sunday.
Benayoun is one of the players in the frame to take the place vacated by Lampard's absence, as he did in Zilina midweek, although no decision has yet been made.
'He [Benayoun] played very well first half, taking the right positions and he made two assists,' Ancelotti says.
'It is a new position for him but he can play that position because he is intelligent and we need to have intelligent players in midfield because then we can rotate places there.Yossi will take up the right positions.
'But Ramires played a good game against West Ham and he is fresh,' the manager adds, emphasising he has yet to choose the side.
'Lampard will be fit next week, for the Carling Cup I think. He is training but we don't want to take a risk.'
No-one will be surprised if Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole start versus Blackpool, both having remained at Cobham while the team was playing in Slovakia, and this rotation of the squad in the opening month is important to the team's prospects according to Ancelotti.
'I try to put my idea of football to the team but it is not my team because this club had a precise identity before I came here,' he claims.
'I have my idea of football, we changed something last year and now I think we have more confidence in our play, we have more knowledge, and for this reason we are doing well.
'We know every game could be difficult for us but the atmosphere is good now. The players are all involved in the team and I am happy for this, and if we can continue the atmosphere we can have success this year.'
People outside Chelsea have pointed to our early fixtures and claimed we will not have faced a true test before we travel to Manchester City next weekend, but Ancelotti is ignoring such talk.
'To think about the game against Man City is too far, we have to think game by game. Blackpool is a good team and they have won two games away, they are showing good spirit and so we have to pay attention, this is not an easy game.'
Finally the manager has also reacted to one of this week's hot topics - bad tackling in the Premier League, as raised by Arsene Wenger.
Firstly Ancelotti sent good wishes to Manchester United's Antonio Valencia who broke his ankle on Champions League duty.
'Valencia was unlucky because the defender didn't make a bad tackle. I want to wish him a quick recovery.
'The tempo of the game here is different from other countries but I don't think that here there are more bad tackles.
'There is fair play here and I have trust in the referees. If there is a bad tackle then the referee can judge.'
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