Carlo Ancelotti Backs Milan Coach Massimiliano Allegri To Succeed

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti believes Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri will succeed in recasting the mindset at San Siro following a failed campaign last term.

The Rossoneri ended up empty handed as hands appeared tied. But ex-Milan boss Ancelotti has said Allegri will break the shackles and help the club refind its feet as a new era begins.

"Allegri is in the right frame to express all his possibilities given the organization at the club. He can do his best," Ancelotti told Sky Sport Italia.

While Allegri's ambition to revive the embers of success is the key to development, the Blues man is assured the learning curve will deliver top marks.

"Milan are going through a period of transition and I think players that were not great last season will produce more this year," he concluded.

Ray Wilkins Confirms Jon Obi Mikel & Michael Essien Are Close To Returning For Chelsea

Chelsea midfielders Jon Obi Mikel and Michael Essien are set to give manager Carlo Ancelotti a boost ahead of the new season, with Blues' assistant manager Ray Wilkins confirming that the two African stars are nearing returns from injury.

Both players were forced to miss the World Cup with knee injuries this summer, but both could be available for Chelsea's opening Premier League fixture against West Bromwich Albion on August 14.

"Jon Obi is slightly in advance of Michael Essien but they are both working very well indeed," Wilkins told his club's official website.

"They have been working double sessions for the last week and we will get them really firing before the season starts."

One new arrival at Stamford Bridge this summer has been Israeli winger Yossi Benayoun, signed from Liverpool.

The new boy is apparently enjoying the way pre-season is handled at Stamford Bridge - in contrast to what used to happen at Anfield.

"Yossi is doing well. He has said the pre-season training here is so different to what they did at Liverpool where they didn't use a ball," Wilkins explained.

"They ran and they ran and they ran. But here we use the ball all the times and we feel we get the best out of the guys by using the ball day in day out. I think Yossi is quite enjoying himself."

Meanwhile, Ancelotti's assistant at Chelsea also admitted that managing the fitness of those Blues stars who have been at the World Cup would be a challenge this season.

"Normally after a World Cup you find those players who come back from it, it is about December when they seem to hit a wall," he added.

"It is very important we manage them in the correct manner and we get them to a level where they won't be as fit as we want them to be, but as they creep into the new year their fitness will come back.

"The players we have got here now, we have to get them into the right fitness condition so that they are prepared to play, because we might not be able to use the guys coming back from the World Cup for the first couple of games.

"These young men have to be primed and ready to perform."

Cork's Golden Chance!

With the majority of the senior players yet to return to pre-season training after participation in the World Cup, Chelsea TV did a wonderful interview with Jack Cork.

Many suggest that the next month or so could be a seminal moment in the Chelsea career of Jack Cork.

Watched by the management team, in training, Cork knows that this is his chance to impress and perhaps earn the right to spend the season at Chelsea, possibly eyeing up a first team squad spot.

Since joining Chelsea, Cork has flourished but always away on loan. A successful season at Scunthorpe saw him voted their 'Player of the Year` and also their 'Young Player of the Year` in the same season.

Spells at Southampton and Watford followed before last season Cork was given the opportunity to try his luck in the Premier League with Burnley.

Now, Cork could do nothing to prevent Burnley from being relegated, to the Championship, but he still put in some stirring performances and was fortunate to notch up his first Premier League goal, against Spurs of all teams.

When questioned about his ambitions for the season, he modestly replied that he wanted to impress in pre-season training and then see where that took him.

With Chelsea playing Crystal Palace this weekend and with the squad still shorn of several of its big names, this is the ideal platform for Cork to shine.

A decent performance could well see him remain in the starting eleven for the friendly fixtures that follow, if so, this could well be the season that Jack Cork becomes a fully fledged member of the first team squad.

Profiling the Future - Fabio Borini

Borini was signed by Chelsea from Bologna aged 16, with a reputation of being a natural goal scorer who could make perfect runs and finish from the tightest of angles.

With competition from the Italian mega clubs Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus; credit must be given to Arnesen in pulling this one off. He never managed a first team appearance for Bologna but his statistics at junior level were amazing. He scored 53 times in 77 appearances between the age of 12 and 17 at academy and reserve level.

Having been snapped up by Chelsea, he was introduced to the academy level at first but an injury prone first year saw him make little impact on the blues. He made only 3 starts with a goal to his name. This however did not stop him from firing the following year as the 2008/09 season proved to be the wowing year for the player.

At youth level the Italian struck 11 goals in 10 games and earned immediate promotion to the reserve side. Here too he was amazing as he played against the likes of Stoke's Amdy Faye and United's Jonny Evans to still notch up 6 goals in 10+2 games.

People were now taking notice.

The arrival of Ancelotti saw the player rise further in prominence. When asked about the Italian Ancelotti said:

"Borini is an 18-year-old from Bologna who is very, very, very interesting.'

He was included in the Champions League squad and made his debut appearance in the Premier League, in the 89th minute in the 3-0 win over Spurs, though his involvement was minimal.

He got a second chance to showcase his talents with 13 minutes in a win over Wolves. I will never forget the moment in the 91st minute when a defence splitting ball was captured amazingly by Borini who easily managed to round the keeper.

Sadly the pass had been slightly over-hit so having beaten the keeper, Borini found the angle to be too tight and hit the side netting. A glimpse of his ability!

His first start saw an impressive display against QPR and he followed up with short appearances in an FA Cup match and the game against Apoel.

He is yet to score for the first team, though with barely 150 minutes under his belt that is hardly a concern. For the reserves this year he scored 4 times in 6 starts and 2 sub appearances.

Borini's international career has been quite prolific with an amazing 11 in 23 appearances and is one of the youngest players in the U-21 side, now 19 but earning his debut aged 18.

Christened the new Shevchenko by the press, Borini's place in the squad should give blues fans great optimism about the future, given how good the original Shevchenko became under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti.

My Favourite Games: Alex

Overlooked by his country for this summer's World Cup, the Chelsea man still has his homeland on his mind as he picks out two treasured memories, one of a game played in and another watched on TV 16 summers ago.

Favourite game played:

Before he arrived at Chelsea, where he has won two FA Cups and a Barclays Premier League title, Alex had regularly picked up silverware with PSV in Holland and prior to that, with Santos in Brazil where he began his career.

As the club that nurtured Pele, Santos has a fine reputation for developing talent, and also brought through household names Robinho and Elano at the same time Alex was coming through.

Back in 2002, our man was a raw 20-year-old central defender as his club reached the final of the Brazilian championship, despite finishing eighth in the regular league season. Progressing past Sao Paulo and Gremio, they would meet Corinthians in the final.

The first leg brought a 2-0 victory with goals courtesy of Alberto and Renato, before the second leg a week later, in which the future Manchester City pairing of Robinho with a penalty, and Elano netted important goals on the way to a 3-2 victory.

'It was a big final for Santos against Corinthians, the Sao Paulo rivals, and we won 3-2 and won the league championship,' he recalls.

'For me it was very, very good, my first big trophies as a professional and my friends Robinho and Elano both scored for us.'

Favourite game watched:

Most people who remember this 1994 World Cup Final will recount an uninspiring affair between Italy and Brazil, the sides that had produced such a thrilling spectacle in Mexico in 1970.

Although both sides had chances, the Brazilians for Bebeto and Romario, the Italians for Daniele Massaro and Roberto Baggio, it ended goalless and the World Cup was decided on penalties for the first time ever, in the midday heat of Los Angeles.

Franco Baresi, Italian captain, shot over before Gianluca Pagliuca saved from Marcio Santos to level matters. Claudio Taffarel then saved Massaro's shot and Dunga converted, meaning Baggio would need to score to give his side a chance.

The Divine Ponytail stepped up, and duly blasted his penalty over the bar, handing Brazil their first World Cup success in 24 years. For Alex, it was a major moment in his childhood, having just turned 12.

'The final of the World Cup in 1994, people say it was not exciting but it was very nervous and exciting for Brazilian people, it was a long time since we had won the trophy and it was the first time that I saw it happen,' says the defender.

'We played at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles last summer against Inter, where that final was, and it was a good experience.'

Chelsea Ready To Make €22 Milllion Offer For Sampdoria Striker Giampaolo Pazzini

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is ready to make a €22 million swoop for Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini, but may find his offer is €78m short of expectations.

Pioneers when it comes to big spending, Chelsea will need a bulldozer to knock down Sampdoria's €100m valuation of the Italy international.

Il Corriere dello Sport reports the Blucerchiati have already rejected a substantial offer from Juventus. Two weeks ago Samp president Riccardo Garrone said he wouldn't even sell his player for €100m.

That was viewed as an unrealistic valuation, and a clear attempt at scaremongering the interested clubs.

Ancelotti will not be put off though. He is confident €22m will be the tip of the iceberg for Sampdoria and enough to defrost talks and reignite a deal.

Chelsea Still Looking To Make A Move For Injured Liverpool Star Fernando Torres

Chelsea are still interested in a move for Liverpool and Spain striker Fernando Torres despite the fact that a groin tear suffered in the World Cup final could keep him out for the start of the Premier League season.

Torres will be checked out by Spain’s medical team in Madrid on Tuesday, but it is expected that he will miss the beginning of the season after suffering his third major injury in less than a year.

Despite the injury problems Chelsea is still looking to bid for the 26-year-old and hope to take advantage of the doubts about his future at Liverpool to complete a deal for the Spaniard, according to The Mirror.

The World Cup winner’s knee operations in January and April cost him a huge chunk of time this season, which led to a disappointing tournament in South Africa in which Torres did not score a goal.

Barcelona are also interested in Torres, but Manchester City have given up their pursuit of the Reds star as Chelsea and the Catalan giants can offer Champions League football next season, something that the Eastlands club and Liverpool cannot.

Chelsea Boss Carlo Ancelotti Wants To Coach Inter's Mario Balotelli

Carlo Ancelotti is keen to bring Inter Milan bad boy Mario Balotelli to Chelsea, suggesting the temperamental striker would flourish in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old is reportedly heading out of the San Siro door with his agent Mino Raiola confirming that Manchester United and Manchester City are keen on his signature.

Chelsea boss Ancelotti reckons the youngster would excel at Old Trafford, but added that he would like to have a go at curbing his famously hot temper.

Asked by Sky Sport24 if he would like to coach Balotelli, he responded: "Yes."

"They [United] are a team with great tradition, which helps that type of player. Here, the environment is different and I think a player with his character could find it better than in Italy.

"It's difficult to find a player so young with his quality, and England has a lack of players at that level."

The Italian also cooled rumours of a bid for Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, saying: "There is no chance of him coming here because he's a Real Madrid player.

"I don't think Real are willing to put him on the market - they bought him last year and therefore this is fantasy. If Real say, 'We want to sell Kaka', it could be the case that Chelsea are interested."

Chelsea Could Ask FIFA To Ban Adrian Mutu

The agent of Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has said that Chelsea could petition FIFA to slap a ban on the Romanian striker because of the €17 million he owes the club.

Mutu has already been suspended for nine months by the Italian National Olympic Committee due to testing positive for a banned substance. He has been ordered to pay €17 million to the Premier League giants. However, the 31-year-old is unable to garner that much money.

SkySport24 now quotes Victor Becali as saying that Chelsea has asked FIFA to ban Mutu until his debt is paid in full. Becali is reportedly trying to negotiate with Chelsea to bring this saga to a close.

Reports had linked Mutu with a move away from Florence but it now appears that the 31-year-old will remain with the Tuscan outfit if Chelsea does indeed ask FIFA to ban Mutu.

Chelsea See Ajax Striker Luis Suarez As Alternative If Fernando Torres Chase Fails

Chelsea will swoop for controversial Uruguay World Cup 2010 striker Luis Suarez if they fail to force through Fernando Torres' switch from Liverpool, according to The People.

Suarez, 23, followed a sensational 49-goal domestic season with Ajax with three goals in South Africa.

Despite hitting the headlines for his goal-line handball in the quarter-final victory against Ghana, his displays impressed manager Carlo Ancelotti and he could be be set to make a bid if his pursuit of Torres is unsuccessful.

Liverpool superstar Torres remains his main target but his injury in the World Cup final, loyalty to the Reds and extremely high price-tag could all prove to be prohibitive.

Suarez would be available for half the £50 million Chelsea are prepared to pay for the Spaniard and has recently expressed a desire to come to the Premier League this summer.

Didier Drogba Called Anderlecht Wonderkid Romelu Lukaku About Chelsea Move

Didier Drogba has spoken to rising Anderlecht star Romelu Lukaku about a move to Chelsea, according to a Belgium Football Association spokesman.

Lukaku, 17, burst onto the scene last season and was top scorer in the Jupiler Pro League with 15 goals in 25 appearances.

His potential was also confirmed after he grabbed a brace in the 3-1 Europa League victory against Ajax.

A switch to the Stamford Bridge outfit has been mooted for several years, though they can expect to face competition from AC Milan, Real Madrid and Arsenal.

Speaking to reporters, Belgian FA spokesman Nicolas Cornu divulged a conversation he had with Drogba's about Lukaku.

"Yes, I've even called him," Drogba is reported to have said.

"I got his phone number from Vincent Kompany.

"I told him - you have to sign for Chelsea."

Priming For Place

Preparations for our first pre-season game of the summer continued to gather pace at Cobham on Monday, while John Terry briefly dropped in on the squad.

The England defender visited the training ground for a short time to go through some light exercises and meet up with team-mates old and new in Franco Di Santo and Yossi Benayoun, before departing for a family holiday. He is due to report back at Cobham along with our other World Cup representatives later in July.

Meanwhile on the training pitches it was a first day of training without at least a little sunshine, instead Carlo Ancelotti and his men were treated to a rather refreshing downpour after some hot and humid sessions over the past week.

Of course the focus is still more on fitness than football, but once again the sessions took on a technical element as the lads work towards readiness for the long season ahead. Our first action of the campaign is almost upon us, a pre-season friendly away at Championship side Crystal Palace on Saturday.

McEachran Looking Ahead

An Under 17 European champion, Josh McEachran is hoping training with the first team squad will stand him in good stead for the season ahead.

Josh McEachran was a part of the England Under 17 squad that lifted the European Championship in Liechtenstein at the back end of May, a success that followed on from his key role in our FA Youth Cup success last season.

An attack-minded midfielder, the Chelsea man was a central figure in England's success en route to the Final, a 2-1 win over Spain, watched by several members of the Spanish senior squad, including Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos.

'The European Championships was great, England hadn't won a youth tournament since 1993, so that was a good feeling,' said the Oxford-born player.

'Before the match, they put up the team sheet from that game and it was the likes of Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, so there was a lot of pressure on us but we managed to win.

'When we were singing the national anthem we saw the Spain players all come into the stadium, so it was a little nerve-wracking playing in front of them but it was a good experience all the same. They deserved to win the World Cup, I thought they were the best team overall.'

Now with the international calendar completed, the focus returns to club football, with a little over a month to run until the beginning of the Premier League season, but plenty of pre-season matches to look forward to.

Involvement in first team affairs on the training pitches has left the second-year scholar, who will largely be a part of the reserve team squad this season, hopeful for match action.

'Since I have been back I've been training with the first team which is really good, and hopefully I can go on from here,' said McEachran, who spent his summer break on holiday with family.

'The atmosphere here has been friendly, everyone has been nice to me and speaking to me, and everybody is happy to be back at Cobham.

'I thought it would be a lot harder but it's been alright so far, the fitness has been fine and I hope I can be involved in pre-season. The game against Crystal Palace is coming up on Saturday, and hopefully I can be involved with that, and then this season I really want to make my debut.'

Having seen fellow Academy men Gael Kakuta, Jeffrey Bruma, Fabio Borini and Patrick van Aanholt all make their first appearances for the club last season, there is no reason why McEachran cannot be next.

The Wait is Almost Over!

It is almost upon us and the moment that everyone has been waiting for.

Enough of the meaningless action. This is what really matters. The weeks have counted down to days and the days have trickled down to hours. You get twitchy. You find yourself looking at your watch every minute. The tension is unbearable. You just want the moment to arrive.

You spend your time thinking about it. Tactics, formations, game situations. Will we see as much drama as last time? Will we see some managerial genius, perhaps? Will the niggle heal enough to allow your favourite player to play? Will it even matter? Enough of the stupid inner discussion. The mind goes numb as the seconds go by.

It seems like an eternity and yet, before you know it, its there. The camera crews are ready. The players are warming up. You peer to see if your favourite player is moving without discomfort. The incessant drone of the commentator starts to get annoying. Let’s see some action now, please.

The players are in the tunnel. They walk out for the pre-match line-ups and you feel something welling up inside you. It’s unexplainable. It’s football.
The captains get the toss done. The ball is placed at the centre of the lush green pitch. The heart starts beating. You can hear it.

The crowd goes into a frenzy and then.......you hear it.........

"CAAAREFREE! Wherever you may be............!"

Those familiar but immortal words resonate inside you. No vuvuzelas thank you, just an away end full of mad-men clothed in blue.

The ref blows the whistle. Its 3 pm (English time) on the 17th of July. The venue is Selhurst Park.

Liverpool Striker Fernando Torres' Injury Puts £50m Chelsea Move In Doubt

An injury to Fernando Torres late into Sunday night’s World Cup Final between Spain and Holland may further confuse the striker’s future, with Chelsea hoping he will ask Liverpool to consider offers for him when he returns from holiday.

Torres cut a forlorn figure after he was left out of the starting line-up by Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque - and did not even warm-up with the rest of the substitutes - but he came on at the start of the second-half of extra-time to replace David Villa as his country’s lone striker.

However as he chased down a long ball forward he pulled up suddenly, feeling his groin, before collapsing on the turf in apparent agony. He was eventually stretchered off. It capped a miserable tournament for Torres, although he was involved in the build-up to Andres Iniesta’s winning goal, and there will now be frantic concern over the extent of the injury and whether it might place his hope for a summer move to Chelsea in jeopardy.

Torres did manage to collect his winners’ medal and join his team-mates on a lap of honour but he was clearly in some discomfort and given his constant record of injuries, which has been an issue for him throughout his career then it will be a concern to any potential buyer.

Chelsea are leading the chase for the 27-year-old and are set to open the bidding, hoping that Torres will ask for a move although he may fall short of handing in a transfer request. They remain confident that Torres wants to join them and may, eventually, offer up to £50 million for him.

However this would fall short of Liverpool’s valuation for Torres which is believed to be closer to £70 million. At the same time it’s understood that, significantly, Liverpool are already actively looking at alternatives should Torres eventually be sold.

Contact is believed to have been made with the German club Wolfsburg, now managed by Steve McClaren, over the future of their striker Edin Dzeko who is believed to be admired by Liverpool’s new manager Roy Hodgson.

Negotiations for the Bosnian, who has previously also attracted interest from Chelsea, to move to Manchester City are at an advanced stage although a fee is yet to be agreed.

If Liverpool were to sell Torres for £50 million or more then it would give them the funds to purchase Dzeko and although they would not be able to out-bid City it could well be that the 23-year-old would prefer a move to the Merseyside club.

The sale of Torres would also provide Hodgson - who has stated he wants to keep the striker and intends to hold talks with him when he returns from holiday, if not before - with further funds to strengthen his squad as he goes about re-shaping his team for the new season. That could be bolstered with Javier Mascherano, who may hand in a transfer request, also pushing for a move.

City had hoped that they might strike an agreement with Torres but although they retain interest they also accept that the failure to qualify for the Champions League has severely damaged their chances. Instead they have concentrated on trying to sign Dzeko or, if that bid fails, to secure Inter Milan’s Mario Balotelli.

Torres has been cagey over his future throughout the World Cup, declaring that he wants to hear from Hodgson over his plans for Liverpool before he decides what he wants to do. Earlier this year Torres made clear that he wanted the club to strengthen significantly this summer but they have to generate funds first.

The player is believed to want to stay in England, unless there is a bid made for him by Barcelona who he regards as the only other club he would consider moving too. He has told friends that he wants to now be challenging for major trophies and is desperate to win the Champions League.

Chelsea Eye Fabio Coentrao As A Possible Replacement For Ashley Cole

Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao has been targeted by Chelsea as a possible replacement for Ashley Cole should he decide to leave for Real Madrid this summer, according to The Sun.

Cole has been the centre of much tabloid focus on his personal life in recent months and is believed to be desperate to leave England because of his off-field struggles.

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is apparently keen to take Cole to the Bernabeu, and the Blues are believed to be expecting a bid from los Blancos shortly.

They do not want Cole to leave but Coentrao, 22, who impressed at the World Cup with his vibrancy down the left flank for Portugal, has been identified as a successor to the England international should they be left with little choice but to grant Cole his reported wish.

Villa: Torres More Likely To Join Chelsea

Barcelona striker David Villa believes Chelsea have a better chance of signing Spain team-mate Fernando Torres than Manchester City this summer.

Liverpool's Torres was linked with a British transfer record £50million move to both the Blues and City before the World Cup.

The 26-year-old striker endured a miserable personal tournament in South Africa.

He failed to score a single goal and was dropped from the starting line-up as Spain won Sunday's final in Johannesburg.

Torres picked up a groin injury after coming on in extra-time against the Netherlands at Soccer City but remains a target of the two big-spending Premier League clubs.

But rather than join ambitious City, Villa believes his international team-mate would be more interested in either following him to Barcelona or heading to Stamford Bridge.

"I am not sure where his future lies, but he knows like me he must win trophies at club level," he said.

"He isn't money-focused so he would never join Manchester City.

"But sure, Barcelona and Chelsea would be real options for him. He has proven he can score goals in England and Chelsea are the number one team there at the moment, so I suppose it's the option that makes the most sense.

"He has been fully focused on the World Cup but in the back of his mind he knows he needs to be competing for the very highest honours and if Liverpool can't do it he will have to move."

Schweinsteiger Open To Move

Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has revealed the possibility of a switch away from Germany 'excites' him.

The schemer enjoyed a fine World Cup showing with Germany this summer, fuelling rumours of growing interest in his services.

Several high-profile teams have been linked with an approach, including the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Bayern have stressed they intend to retain Schweinsteiger, who is happy at the club but has not ruled out an exit.

"There are always a few offers, but I have a contract with Bayern until 2012 and I respect the contract and the club," he told Bild am Sonntag.

Schweinsteiger confirmed he has considered his future, but said: "I know that there is something great at Bayern. We didn't reach the UEFA Champions League final without good reason - and to win it is my ambition."

Asked if he would consider moving on to achieve that goal, he said: "To end this talk I will just say that I am not married to Bayern.

"The Bundesliga is great, and has become more important, but if I were to move on then, of course, the idea of going abroad is what excites me."

Ancelotti To Push On With Wesley Sneijder Bid

Carlo Ancelotti would do well to land a player as in form as the Inter Milan man and now that Jose Mourinho has left the San Siro it would make sense for club’s such as Chelsea to make their feelings known to the Dutch international.

The 26 year old had an excellent season last term after a horror spell at Real Madrid and the playmaker has followed up a treble in club football with an excellent display at the World Cup, a display that could see him lift the trophy as well as the Golden Ball award.

The Stamford Bridge outfit have of course allowed Michael Ballack and Joe Cole to run out their contracts and Deco looks set to leave as well, so there is indeed a good deal of sense in looking to nab the former Ajax man.

It may take a bid of around £33-35m to get the Italian side’s attention and clearly Roman Abramovich can afford to shell out such a sum and has told Ancelotti that money is available to bring in new additions to help retain their Premier League crown as well as looking to mount a Champions League assault to boot.

Stoney Agrees New Terms

Casey Stoney has agreed terms on a new contract with Chelsea Football Club ahead of next year's Women's Super League.

The Chelsea Ladies captain, a regular in the England Ladies side, joined the Blues from Charlton Athletic in 2007 and went on to win the Nationwide International Player of the Year Award for the 2007/08 season.

Originally a product of the Chelsea Academy, which she joined aged 12, Stoney initially left the club to join Arsenal in 1999 before taking up her role at Charlton in 2002.

As captain of Charlton, Stoney won the League Cup in 2004, the FA Cup in 2005 and the League Cup once more in 2006 before Charlton disbanded their women's side following the men's relegation from top-flight football.

Stoney has also been part of England's senior ladies team since her debut in August 2000 as a substitute against France. Her first start came against Norway in 2002 and she has since become England's first-choice left-back.

Now Stoney will continue to captain Chelsea as we head towards the new Women's Super League, which begins in March 2011.

The Super League will run throughout the summer with televised matches to help encourage young women to take up the sport and help develop stars to represent the ever-improving women's national team.

Chelsea are one of eight teams involved in the new league, which includes Arsenal LFC, Birmingham City LFC, Bristol Academy WFC, Doncaster Rover Belles, Everton, Lincoln LFC and Liverpool LFC.