Carlo Ancelotti: Didier Drogba Must Keep Scoring For Chelsea

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the performances of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard in last night's 5-0 destruction of Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Florent Malouda, like Drogba, bagged a brace in the victory, whilst Lampard put the seal on the game with the final goal in injury time.

Whilst Ancleotti was pleased with the performance of his stars, he also wants them to maintain their standards as the Blues head into the last seven Premier League games still very much in the hunt for the title.

"Lampard had a good performance, like the other players," the manager told his club's official website.

"He was happy because he scored the last goal, and he worked for the team.

"It is a very important season for Drogba, a fantastic striker, but I am looking at what he can do the next nine games [seven in the League and a possible two in the FA Cup]. I hope he hasn't finished scoring."

Meanhwile, Ancelotti was able to confirm that the injury to Didier Drogba that saw him hobbling at the end of the game was "nothing special" and that Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou's being named on the bench was about keeping players fresh rather than anything tactical.

Ricardo Carvalho did leave the game in the first half, though, and the seriousness of the problem was yet to be determined.

The Italian explained: "Carvalho has turned his ankle, we don't know now if it is a big problem or not."

Essien: Putting In The Hours

After a frustrating period, Michael Essien is in positive mood as he works his way back towards fitness.

The Ghanaian midfielder has not appeared for Chelsea since December when he tore a hamstring against APOEL in the Champions League, before damaging his knee while on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.

Having suffered some complications in his rehabilitation, the 27-year-old believes he is now on the right track.

'I was hoping to be back available for the home game against Inter but the healing has taken a bit longer than expected because my knee kept swelling up,' he explained on his personal website.

'In two weeks I ended up having four lots of surgery to try and get the fluid away from the area. Finally it seems to be okay and I am making progress. I know I just have to be patient and give it time to settle down and heal.

'I'm in at 9.30 every morning and I don't leave until five and that's seven days a week. I'm spending lots of time in the pool as that's a good way to help the healing.

'On a positive note I'm feeling mentally strong and I try to stay philosophical about injuries. There are worse injuries than mine and there are people in the world suffering with far more serious problems than this.'

Hilario Shows Sporting Support

Hilario was joined at Cobham on Wednesday by international athletes from four other sports and more than 50 youngsters as he helped launch Chelsea's Premier League 4 Sport initiative.

The goalkeeper, currently recovering from injury, was on hand with representatives from judo, table tennis, badminton and volleyball, as well as the club's youth team, to launch the scheme which uses the power of football to boost sporting participation in local schools and clubs.

Premier League 4 Sport is a £3.8m partnership with the Government and sees all 20 top flight clubs linking up with community sports clubs to help attract young people in their area to take up minor sports. It is designed to help with the Government's commitment to offer young people five hours of sport a week, as part of its 2012 legacy plans.

During the visit, Hilario tried his hand at each of the four sports, with his competitive side shining through on both the judo mat and in the table tennis, while the youth lads immersed themselves in the badminton and volleyball, teaming up with the youngsters to test their expertise.

'I think it's very important to introduce kids to other sports, it's not only about football,' Hilario said afterwards. 'It's great that a big team like Chelsea can help kids to find different sports because there are more sports than football - as we saw there is table tennis, badminton, judo and volleyball in there. It also helps kids to meet more people and stay healthy.

'When I was young I lived next to a beach and I played beach volleyball and also used to play a bit of table tennis. I thought I was okay at table tennis until today, but the lady in there was much stronger than me, she was very good.'

The lady in question was coach Alison Broe, who competed for Great Britain at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, and easily outclassed the 34-year-old stopper.

'He has a bit of potential and he did say before that I had no chance, so I was a little bit worried about him,' she admitted. 'He was alright, but I played professionally and in the Olympics, Commonwealth and European games, so I was okay.

'This is a fantastic event; things like this are brilliant and bring more publicity for us as a sport. We're getting out into the schools and linking with a club like Chelsea is fantastic.'

Working with the grassroots sport delivery bodies, the Youth Sport Trust and Sport England, the aim is to get 25,000 young people from across the country, aged between 11 and 16, to join local sport clubs in the four Olympic sports during the two and a half-year scheme.

Olympic hopefuls including judo's Colin Oats, table tennis player Natalie Green and volleyballer Jodie Gooding joined the Portuguese international along with representatives from the Premier League, Sport England and the Youth Sports Trust to celebrate the initiative, while football freestyler Jeremy Lynch (above) gave a skills masterclass.

Andrew Morgan, Chelsea Football in the Community's Essex development manager oversaw the event, and is delighted the club is able to use its appeal to help a large number of kids.

'We are using the name of Chelsea to increase participation levels within the four sports leading up to the Olympics,' he told the club website. 'It's a great programme for us and shows that we're not just doing football initiatives, we're doing a lot of work around communities and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.

'It's great to bring kids from Essex out of their home county across to Cobham, this place being so fantastic.'

Match Report: Portsmouth 0 - 5 Chelsea

Chelsea cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the Premier League to one point with an impressive 5-0 hammering of crisis club Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

A David James howler allowed Didier Drogba to tap into an empty net for Chelsea's opener before Florent Malouda grabbed two second-half goals in 10 minutes.

Drogba's neat finish and Lampard's late goal sealed the win against a Portsmouth side now one step closer to almost certain relegation.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti handed Daniel Sturridge a surprise start as the Blues looked to close the gap on United and atone for their Champions League exit to Inter Milan last week.

Sturridge replaced Nicolas Anelka in Ancelotti's starting XI, which also included Petr Cech and Ricardo Carvalho, who have both been out through injury for a month. Deco was handed his first start since February 2 while Yury Zhirkov came in for the injured Branislav Ivanovic.

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant replaced Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Nadir Belhadj with Steve Finnan and Richard Hughes, while there was no place for Aruna Dindane due to a clause in his loan agreement which would require Pompey to pay £4million to Lens if he played another game for the club.

Ancelotti described the match as a "must win" against Grant, who spent eight months at the helm at Stamford Bridge in the 2007-08 season.

Financially-stricken Portsmouth, who learned before kick off they would be allowed to sell players outside the transfer window, lined up in a defensive 4-3-2-1 formation at a rain-soaked Fratton Park.

Chelsea were the most dominant team in the early exchanges and Deco combined well with Drogba before the Ivory Coast striker fired a weak shot wide.

Drogba was in the thick of the action again soon after but he wasted a good chance by volleying well over the bar from inside the box.

Lampard thought he had put Chelsea ahead in the 10th minute but James scrambled across his line to tip the midfielder's 30-yard strike around the post.

James was once again on hand to save another Lampard shot moments later from a similar distance.

Pompey started to get a foothold on the game as the pitch cut up under the rain but found themselves 1-0 down thanks to a James howler in the 32nd minute.

The England 'keeper raced out of his box to make a routine clearance after Deco tried to play through Drogba but James completely missed the ball, leaving the Ivory Coast man to tap into an empty net.

James was left with his hands on his hips as the Chelsea fans ridiculed the stopper for his mistake.

Ancelotti was forced into a change soon after when he brought on Alex for Carvalho, who went off clutching his ankle.

The game came close to boiling point soon after when Pompey full back Ricardo Rocha had to be carried off after colliding with Malouda.

Malouda then squared up to Hermann Hreidarsson, who claimed the Frenchman had used his elbow in the challenge, before being booked by referee Lee Mason.

Rocha, meanwhile, was carried off on a stretcher after a four-minute stoppage while wearing an oxygen mask.

Pompey's troubles worsened when Tommy Smith hobbled off after the half-time whistle.

Smith failed to emerge after half time and was replaced by Quincy, whose clever ball into the box failed to find a team-mate soon after the break.

After his booking, Malouda was booed every time he touched the ball and he soon plunged the Pompey fans into further misery when he picked up Lampard's pass and beat James from a tight angle to make it 2-0.

Joe Cole, who had voiced his frustration at his lack of first-team action earlier this week, replaced the ineffective Sturridge in the 53rd minute.

The midfielder made an immediate impact, drawing a good save from James after a clever through ball from Lampard.

Malouda then scored his second of the night when he reacted first to James' save from Lampard's shot to coolly slot the ball home to make it 3-0.

James then pulled off a flying save to deny Lampard from 20 yards as Chelsea looked to turn the screw.

Kanu replaced Mokoena with 15 minutes left in a desperate attempt to inject some life into the Pompey attack, who were being well marshalled by John Terry and Alex.

Drogba was then played in by John Obi Mikel and the striker held his nerve to slot past James from inside the box to make it 4-0.

Portsmouth then had a golden chance to pull one back but Hughes somehow put a free header from five yards out wide.

Frederic Piquionne then beat two Chelsea defenders down the right but Kanu blazed over from eight yards out.

Second half substitute Patrick Van Aanholt then squared the ball to Drogba but he just missed out on his third by firing over.

Lampard completed Pompey's misery when he finished from Drogba's knock down in the dying minutes to make it 5-0.

Asenjo Attracting Interest

Sergio Asenjo will decide his future at the end of the season but his agent concedes he is honoured to be linked with the likes of Chelsea and AC Milan.

Asenjo, who is rated as one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe, was snapped up by Atletico Madrid from Real Valladolid last summer.

The 20-year-old has impressed hugely for the Rojiblancos and now both Chelsea and Milan are said to be keen on landing him.

"The interest of top clubs like AC Milan and Chelsea is an honour," his agent Zoran Vekic told Calciomercato.

"In football anything is possible, but until the end of the season we will not take any decision.

"Atletico Madrid has made a major investment in him and together at the end of the season we'll evaluate the situation."

Vekic revealed that both Manchester United and Barcelona were tracking his charge before he moved to Atletico.

"We know that the Rossoneri have followed him but last year there were also Barcelona and Manchester United and there was also a deal with Fiorentina," he said.

Ancelotti: Closing The Door

Carlo Ancelotti admits he is experiencing his toughest days since joining Chelsea and he is ordering rearguard action to bring the good times back.

The 50-year-old certainly doesn't lack for experience at the top level of the game and knowledge gained over many seasons tells him the road to recovery begins with improving matters at the back.

He identifies the home defeat by Manchester City last month as the starting point for the downturn and as he takes his team to Portsmouth on Wednesday with just two wins in the last eight away league games, says:

'This is the most difficult moment of the season, but we don't have to be afraid to say this and we are working to close this moment immediately with a victory.

'During this period we had a lot of injuries and didn't have to possibility to rotate using our squad but this is not an excuse.

'Every team has a difficult moment in the season. In the past I had every year a problem with the team and every year the right way forward was to stay focused defensively.

'We have to have more discipline on the pitch and have stay focused on the defensive positions and I spoke to the players about this. It is very important not to concede a goal.

'The statistics say we were winning a lot of games and the other teams then equalise,' he highlights.

'Our behaviour is to attack every time and also when we are winning. Maybe we need different behaviour and to stay more focused on defending when we are winning.'

Giving the ups-and-downs of a long season, it is only at the end of the fixtures that Ancelotti believes an accurate assessment of Chelsea this campaign can be made, but whatever the final trophy haul he expects to lead the Blues into the next campaign.

'I have a very good relationship with the club and with Roman [Abramovich] and my position is not in discussion. I have two years of contract left and I have no problem to confirm this.'

Ribery Rules Out Chances Of Summer Move To Chelsea

Franck Ribery has ruled out the possibility of joining Chelsea this summer, saying it will be a straight choice between Barcelona and Real Madrid if he leaves Bayern Munich.

Ribery is out of contract at the end of next season and, if he fails to agree an extension, it looks certain he will be sold this summer rather than being allowed to leave on a free transfer.

Chelsea are thought to have an interest in Ribery, but the France star has now said the weather would prohibit a move to England.

"If I decide not to accept Bayern's offer of an extension then I'll certainly be going to Spain," he told Sport Bild.

"I can assure you there has been no decision yet. I myself am brooding about this the most. Money is not the only issue. The difference between the clubs is no longer so big. The decision will therefore not be made with my bank account, but in my head.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't leaning in one direction, but I have to take a lot of factors into consideration - not only what is good for me but also for my wife and children.

"My wife is from the south. She needs sun. There are many things to keep in mind. I think about my family. Here, it rains and it snows. [My wife] is often alone when I am not there. She doesn't have many friends, but that doesn't mean we don't feel happy in Munich."

It has long been speculated that Ribery has already agreed a move to Madrid, but he has suggested that Barca are currently the better side.

"Real and Barcelona are, perhaps alongside Manchester United and Chelsea, above all other clubs. I am also only human. If you have an offer from such a club you should be allowed to consider it. It's where the world's best players play," he said.

"Barcelona have built a team for the long-term. Everyone in the world knows how they play. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have invested in superstars, but something is missing.

"Right now, I am pondering what is the most attractive option. Madrid have prestige despite failing in the last-16 of the Champions League for the last six seasons."

Meanwhile, Bayern winger Arjen Robben has denied reports he advised Ribery to choose Barcelona over Madrid if he decides to leave.

Robben, who moved to Bayern from Madrid in the summer, told Radio Marca: "I never said that. He has the quality to play for both teams, but what I prefer is for him to stay at Munich. Hopefully he will continue with us. I love playing alongside him."

Paulo Ferreira Keen To Stay At Chelsea Until The End Of His Career

Veteran full-back Paulo Ferreira hopes to see out the remainder of his career at Chelsea.

The 31-year-old is under contract with the west London club until 2013, and hopes to honour that deal before retiring from the game.

"I have a deal with Chelsea that runs until 2013 and my idea is to see that out and to then leave football, but this sport is unpredictable," he told Maisfutebol.

"If I finish that deal I will be 34 and it is difficult to find another club then, so this has always been my intention since I signed the deal (in 2008)."

Ferreira, who joined the club from FC Porto in 2004, has been linked with a summer exit from the Blues, but he believes that will not be the case.

"Rumours about a possible exit were false as I have always considered Chelsea to be my home as I have always had great support here," he said.

"I am a player that has always given his all to his club, at Porto and here. I am a professional in all aspects. When I am able to look back on my career I will be content.

"I have been able to win many important titles and I am happy with what I have achieved."

Entering the twilight of his career, Ferreira also hopes he can taste success at international level, having gained 51 caps for Portugal but falling agonisingly short of any major honours.

"With Portugal I really want to win a title," he added.

"We were very close at the Euros in Portugal [where they were runners up to Greece] and did excellently at the 2002 World Cup [finishing fourth].

"My dream now is to make the final list for the national team and to play wherever I am required."

Redknapp Cool On Cole Talk

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has played down suggestions he will look to sign Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole if he leaves Chelsea this summer.

Cole, 28, is out of contract in the summer and revealed this week that negotiation with Chelsea has not gone according to plan.

"We can't seem to find common ground and it's distracting," he said. "At the moment there is no offer on the table, so I know where I stand. I still hope to talk in the summer."

Should Cole leave Stamford Bridge on a free transfer, he is likely to attract widespread interest from around Europe, but Redknapp has indicated that he is unlikely to make an offer.

"He is a terrific player but I have a lot of terrific players here," he said. "When you look at Luka (Modric), Niko (Kranjcar), Aaron Lennon, David Bentley, I am not short really.

"When you talk about signings of the year, Niko never gets a mention. He has to be right up there. What a fantastic signing he has been for us. I paid £2.5 million when I signed him for Portsmouth and the same when he came here. "When I first saw Niko play, I thought that he was a terrific technical player. He has been top-class since we brought him here."

Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, has suggested he is unconcerned by the current uncertainty over the player's future.

"For me, it's not distracting," he said. "I think that Joe doesn't need to do more. He is doing everything at his best and he wants to play.

"He isn't playing because Joe Cole has a manager who puts him on the pitch sometimes and sometimes puts him on the bench."

Real Madrid's Rafael Van Der Vaart On Chelsea's Wish List To Replace Deco

Spanish daily AS is reporting that Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has identified his transfer target to replace the ageing Deco in his squad for next season is Real Madrid's Rafael Van der Vaart. The English club will reportedly pay €11 million.

AS quotes The Sun, which has reported that conversations between the London club and the Dutchman's agent have already begun to discuss a deal with the hope of finalising an agreement before the World Cup, as it is anticipated that the Dutchman's transfer fee will increase after his appearance in South Africa.

After being largely discounted in the Real Madrid squad at the beginning of the season, not even being included in squad lists for friendly matches, van der Vaart has worked his way back into the Blancos rotation, providing pivotal performances. His most notable impact came with his last minute goal to give Real Madrid the three points against Sevilla - a win that saw them vault ahead of Barcelona into first place in the Liga table.

PSV Director Jan Reker Downplays Miroslav Stoch Transfer Rumours

Slovakian international Miroslav Stoch left Chelsea for Twente on a year-long loan deal last summer and has since been in impressive form for the Tukkers. The young winger has scored eight goals in 27 league games so far.

His strong performances haven't gone unnoticed by Dutch powerhouse PSV and Stoch could reportedly be on his way to Eindhoven at the end of the season. However, PSV director Jan Reker has now downplayed any such rumours.

"We were not interested in signing Stoch last summer and haven't approached Chelsea to ask about his availability," said Reker to Dutch football weekly Voetbal International.

"I recently read that we want to sign him this summer, but we haven't approached him. His agent offered him to us, but that doesn't mean that we will make a move for him.

"There's no doubt about it that we think Miroslav is a good player, but we haven't shown any interest in signing him. Maybe his agent approached us to get him a better deal at Chelsea."

Match Preview: Portsmouth vs. Chelsea

A mere three or four games ago who have ever dared to suggest that an ex-colleague of ours, Avram Grant, had, at his finger tips, the potential to permanently derail our Premier League title aspirations?

A home defeat to Manchester City followed by a lackluster 1-1 draw up at Ewood Park have left serious questions being asked about the current validity of our title challenge. Despite our fate being in our own hands with it being common knowledge that if we win all our reaming Premier League games we’ll be crowned champions, there’s an uneasiness in the air that’s enough to give some of us kittens.

With a recent blip in form being the main discussion point we can but only take each game as it comes but with Portsmouth condemned to relegation, courtesy of the financial mess they’re in, but still very much up for the fight, I can think of several other Premier League grounds I’d rather us be visiting.

Nevertheless, if the malaise of the past two Premier League performances is to be shaken off and the players are to knuckle down and produce the sort of performance we all know is needed, I’d suggest a very vociferous Fratton Park is just the place to re-stamp our credentials as title contenders.

Portsmouth Team News:
Avram Grant goes into this game knowing that there’s nothing but pride left to play for after administration made survival in the top flight nigh near impossible.

As for his squad, he’s not able to use his forward Aruna Dindane as one more appearance will invoke a further fee which Pompey do not have.

Elsewhere, Vanden Borre is out with a hamstring problem whilst Boateng, Utaka and Yebda are all rated as doubtful.

Player to watch: Jamie O`Hara
On loan from Spurs O’Hara has become a firm favourite of the Pompey faithful. He’s in the strange situation of having helped them to a FA Cup semi-final, at Wembley, but it looks like he’ll be unable to play against his parent club unless Fulham can spring a surprise win at White Hart Lane. O’Hara emphasized his danger from set pieces at the weekend with a cracker against Hull City as Iain 'Davros` Dowie watched his Hull side lose 3-2 after being 2-1 up with less than five minutes to go.

Chelsea Team News:
Carlo takes his squad to the south-coast with his injury list lengthened even more. Branislav Ivanovic joined the list of casualties that currently includes, Michael Essien, Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa after he picked up a knee injury at Ewood Park, on Sunday.

However, we are led to believe that both Petr Cech and Henrique Hilario are both fit enough for consideration although it should be pointed out that in their absence Ross Turnbull hasn’t put a foot wrong.

Following on from the two points dropped at Ewood Park, it’ll be interesting to see if Carlo Ancelotti is tempted to shuffle his pack to try and inject the flair that has been missing in recent games. Whether this means a start for Deco or Joe Cole remains to be seen, perhaps Carlo may opt to bring back Michael Ballack, all questions only his team sheet can answer.

In defence Carlo could be tempted to recall Ricardo Carvalho, will John Terry be rested or will it be Alex who finds himself unfortunate enough to be warming the bench again?

But, with Ivanovic injured we’re fairly certain that Paulo Ferreira will drop in at right back and Yuri Zhirkov will occupy the left back slot.

Something of a shot in the dark, our anticipated starting eleven - Cech, Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Zhirkov, Mikel, Lampard, Malouda, Deco, Drogba, Anelka

Player to watch: Nicolas Anelka
Apart from the assist for the Didier Drogba goal up at Ewood Park, Anelka’s contributions since Drogba`s return from the Africa Cup of Nations have been diminishing. It could be argued that stuck out wide, by Ancelotti, isn`t doing the Frenchman any favours or possibly even his ongoing contract situation might be affecting the situation. Nevertheless, Anelka needs a good ninety minutes and hopefully ninety minutes whereby he can score, let’s hope that place is Fratton Park on Wednesday evening!

Match Facts & Stats
Chelsea have not been beaten by Portsmouth in their last 17 fixtures at this level, a period that spans an incredible 52 years!

In their last 8 visits to Fratton Park, in top flight football, Chelsea have emerged victorious!

Ancelotti: New Targets

Carlo Ancelotti, a self-confessed fan of statistics, believes a points tally of 86 would be enough for Chelsea to take the league title.

With our current total on 65, that means Chelsea can afford to drop only three points in the remaining eight games to reach the manager's target. He is also clear those three points cannot be let slip in the game against Manchester United.

'I like statistics and I think that in the past with 86 points every team has won the title. I think that we need to get 86 points to win,' he says.

Ancelotti is naturally demanding the full three points collected from the visit to bottom club Portsmouth on Wednesday and for that challenge he welcomes Petr Cech back in goal after five games out with a calf injury.

The goalkeeper injury picture is improving fast with groin strain victim Hilario expected to be fit for Saturday's visit by Aston Villa. Ancelotti also has an update on Ashley Cole's ankle fracture.

'Ashley's recovery is going very well,' he says.

'He started to train in the sand today and I think that he will start to train on the normal ground in 15 days, so he will be ready to play before the last game of the season.'

There was not so good news on another full back however. Ancelotti confirms Branislav Ivanovic suffered a tear in a collateral medial knee ligament during the Blackburn game.

'Ivanovic is an important player for us. He is out for one month but we hope to recover him before this period. We have fortunately recovered Yury Zhirkov so we can put Paulo Ferreira at right back and Zhirkov at left back.

'The mood was not good after the Blackburn game because when we don't win we are disappointed,' the manager continues.

'But we have a possibility to come back on Wednesday. We know our results have not been good enough because we have the possibility to win every game and we haven't done this, but I am happy with the players' attitude and everyone has kept the right behaviour, players and club.'

The Italian insists that with hindsight he remains happy with the preparations for the Inter and Blackburn games and is not dropping his attention to detail ahead of Portsmouth.

'I know Portsmouth have a lot of difficulties but I also know Portsmouth won their last game against Hull when they were 2-1 down and in two minutes they won the game. We have to pay attention because they have the possibility to play without pressure so they can do a good job against us.'

Petr Cech To Return For Chelsea Against Portsmouth On Wednesday

Petr Cech will return to action for Chelsea against Portsmouth on Wednesday, manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed.

The goalkeeper has been out injured since landing awkwardly in the Blues' Champions League game against Inter Milan in Italy last month, with Henrique Hilario and then Ross Turnbull asked to deputise as the side were knocked out of the Champions League and stuttered domestically.

But Ancelotti will welcome back his No. 1 at Fratton Park, and hopes his presence will see a revival in his side's form.

"Carlo Ancelotti has announced that Petr Cech will return for the game at Portsmouth on Wednesday," the club's website confirmed.

"Hilario is also close to full fitness as the goalkeeping injury picture improves. He is expected to be ready for Saturday's visit by Aston Villa."

Ancelotti Has Five Games To Save His Job

Carlo Ancelotti is facing a fight for Chelsea survival as the Blues' season stands on the brink of implosion.

Sunday's 1-1 draw at Blackburn left Chelsea, already out of the Champions League after being humiliated by Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan, third in the table and four points behind Manchester United with a game in hand.

But as Ancelotti was rocked by the news that Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic is set to miss the next month with a knee ligament injury sustained at Ewood Park, the pressure on the Italian was mounting as he prepared for the three week spell that will define his reign.

Senior figures close to Roman Abramovich were last night pointing fingers at Ancelotti, rather than his players, for the run of just five wins in their last 11 games in all competitions and 10 points dropped out of the past 21.

It means Ancelotti's future is on the line unless he can conjure a winning run over the next five games, starting at Portsmouth on Wednesday and including the Easter Saturday visit to Old Trafford and the FA Cup semi-final clash with Aston Villa.

Members of the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are concerned that the series of lackluster and limited displays of recent weeks has now become a trend rather than isolated events.

And unless the former AC Milan coach can turn around the confidence and form of his players to ensure Chelsea take their fight for the title all the way to May 9, he could become the sixth manager to leave the club since 2004 this summer.

Abramovich is understood to be concerned that Ancelotti and his players are failing to respond to the gravity of the situation, with the tame and tepid second half performance at Blackburn indicative of a lack of drive and desire.

Unlike last term, when Luis Felipe Scolari was dismissed amid fears that Chelsea were poised to fall out of the top four, there is no question of Ancelotti being removed before the end of the season.

But the Italian, who cut a stressed and crestfallen figure at Blackburn, is under huge pressure to prove he is the right man for the job, starting at Fratton Park on Wednesday.

David Villa Is On The Market

Chelsea are on red alert after debt-riddled Valencia agreed to sell striker David Villa.

His team-mate David Silva is also available and Manchester United are sure to fancy the attacking midfielder, who may fetch up to £20million.

The Spanish team want to raise £50m by selling both players but Villa could cost £40m alone if a bidding war erupts between Chelsea and Manchester City.

Insiders say Villa, who has fired 121 goals in 223 outings for Valencia and 37 in 55 internationals, will also be wanted by Barcelona and Real Madrid.

But he is thought to prefer a move to the Premier League, with Chelsea his first choice.

Nicolas Anelka is stalling over an extended one-year deal at Chelsea and Blues fans would view Villa, 28, as an eye-popping replacement.

Villa said: "For now my head is in Valencia and the World Cup.

"After South Africa I will decide what's best. My final decision won't be based solely on money."

Chelsea Suffer Branislav Ivanovic Injury Blow

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic will be out for a month after injuring his knee in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers.

The 26-year-old has torn his medial knee ligament and was replaced by Yuri Zhirkov during the game at Ewood Park.

The injury to the Serb will be a blow to Carlo Ancelotti's Premier League title contenders, who are four points behind leaders Manchester United.

Ivanovic will now miss the crucial game against United on 3 April.

Chelsea have one game in hand on the Premier League champions, which comes against Portsmouth on Wednesday evening.

But Ivanovic's injury adds further worry to a defence that is already without long-term absentee Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole, who is battling to be fit before the end of the season.

The Blues have only eight Premier League games left and Ivanovic is now likely to miss five of them in addition to the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa on 10 April.

Ancelotti will be desperate to win some silverware in his first season at Stamford Bridge after crashing out of the Champions League to Inter Milan last week.

Yet with only Paulo Ferreira, Juliano Belletti and Zhirkov left as recognised full-backs, Chelsea's defensive cover is now looking thin.

Ashley Cole Returns To Chelsea Training And Expected To Be Back By End Of Season

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, who suffered the injury against Everton at the beginning of February, was given a stringent non-contact workout at the club's Cobham training ground.

The England left-back also did some heading and turning exercises to test out the joint before undergoing more physio work inside the complex.

And manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is preparing his side for a crucial Premier League game against Portsmouth on Wednesday night, said he expects Cole to join his team-mates in full training in two weeks' time.

'Ashley's recovery is going very well,' he said.

'He started to train in the sand today and I think he will start to train on the ground maybe in 15 days, so he will be ready to play the last game of the season.'

It had been feared Cole's ankle injury may keep him out of the World Cup - giving England boss Fabio Capello a selection headache for the tournament with second-choice Wayne Bridge having made himself unavailable.

But Cole looks in a positive frame of mind and has targeted the game against Wigan at Stamford Bridge on 9th May - the final day of the Premier League season - for his return.

It could mean the 29-year-old has at least two competitive fixtures before England's squad meet for their World Cup warm-up program.

Chelsea have the opportunity to reach the FA Cup final, which will be on 15th May, if they beat Aston Villa at Wembley in the last-four next month.

Contract Talks Between Chelsea And Midfielder Joe Cole Have Stalled

Contract negotiations between Chelsea and Joe Cole appear to have hit an impasse and Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham could all be in on the England international in the summer transfer window.

With the midfielder’s current deal running out this summer, stalling discussions could mean that Cole will leave Stamford Bridge after seven seasons with Chelsea.

Cole does not wish to leave Chelsea, and is keen to re-open contract talks so that an agreement can be reached.

"I've never spoken publicly about contracts before,” Cole told The Sun.

"I don't think contracts should really be discussed mid-season. I have always signed mine in the summer in the past.

"But this time it's different. We can't seem to find common ground and it's distracting. At the moment there is no offer on the table, so I know where I stand. I still hope to talk in the summer."

Cole has made 272 appearances for the Blues since joining from West Ham United in 2003 for £6.6million.

Ancelotti: Cole Going Nowhere

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Joe Cole will remain at the club beyond the end of the season, despite mounting speculation regarding the player's future.

Cole's contract expires in the summer and the 28-year-old was reported as saying he has not been offered a new deal by the Stamford Bridge outfit.

It means the England winger could leave Ancelotti's side on a free during the close-season, with some of Chelsea's title rivals believed to be keen on capturing his signature should he depart the London club.

Cole has said he hopes to extend his stay at the Blues, and Ancelotti - who also dismissed claims he would be leaving Chelsea - reiterated his belief that the midfielder would remain with his team for the new campaign.

He told Sky Sports News: "I said the player will be here next season because the player wants to be here and the club wants to keep him in the squad.

"That's all - there is no news about this. I think that there is a time to speak about his contract but this is not my issue.

"I gave my technical opinion about this player and nothing else. I think that he is showing a pleasure to stay here, to play for this club."

Cole has failed to hold down a regular spot in the Chelsea team this season following a lengthy injury lay off with a cruciate ligament problem.

Ancelotti has used the former West Ham youngster sparingly during his bid to bring the Premier League title to the club, with Cole having to settle for a place on the subs bench.

The player has admitted he needs to play regular first team football in a bid to force his way into Fabio Capello's England squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa.

And Capello is another manager who has been unconvinced by Cole since his returned from injury, with comments from the Italian following the friendly win over Egypt in March suggesting the player's place in the 23-man party for June's show piece event may not be guaranteed.

But Ancelotti praised the Paddington-born star for his conduct around the Chelsea camp - although he too stressed it was important he played frequently on the domestic front.

He added: "He's doing a very good job, he's very professional and he has very good relationship with his other team mates.

"It's a very important moment for him and the other players to show his quality to stay in the squad for the World Cup with England.

"He wants to play, I know that, and he's doing everything he can in training to show me his quality. Sometimes he's played and sometimes he's stayed out, but that's what happens at the big teams."