Deco Issues Battle Cry

Deco has ordered his Chelsea team-mates to view the final rounds of the Barclays Premier League title race as a "war".

The challenge for Manchester United's crown will go down to the wire with Chelsea occupying top spot, one point ahead of their rivals.

Three matches remain, starting with Sunday's showdown with Stoke at Stamford Bridge and continuing at Liverpool before concluding at home against Wigan.

Deco insists Chelsea remain in pole position and has declared it is time to seize the opportunity.

"The first thing we need to know is that we are first," he told club website www.chelseafc.com.

"The last three games will be difficult and of course there is pressure in our minds because we need to win our games if Man Utd win theirs.

"It is a war and we need to be prepared, but if you said on the first day of the Premier League in August we would be one point clear with three games to go, two at home and one game away, we would all say 'okay, we'll sign'!

"This is okay. It would be better if we won or Man Utd lost on the weekend, but that didn't happen.

"Now our moment is here - we have three games and we need to play well and be together."

Chelsea's title hopes suffered a major setback with Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Tottenham.

Deco, whose return to the side in the past month has coincided with a run of five straight wins until last weekend, dismisses the significance of the result.

"We knew at 2-0 we could score. We tried and had chances but didn't score. It was frustrating but we need to carry on," he said.

"I don't think we played a bad game - we didn't have a lot of luck - and we need to recognise they played well."

Carlo Ancelotti: John Terry's Absence Is 'Not A Problem' For Chelsea

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is not sweating over the loss of club captain John Terry, because Branislav Ivanovic is back to provide cover.

Terry will miss Sunday's Premier League game with Stoke City after being sent-off in last weekend's disappointing defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Ivanovic has been absent for a number of weeks after limping off in last month's draw with Blackburn Rovers, but Ancelotti believes the Serbian has returned to full fitness just in time to cover for the loss of the Blues' captain.

Ivanovic has played right-back for the majority of the season in the absence of Jose Bosingwa, but Ancelotti is a firm admirer of his ability in the centre — his natural position.

"John Terry is an important absence for us but now we have Ivanovic fit we can substitute him into the centre position very well because Ivanovic is a centre-back," Ancelotti told reporters.

"He played a lot of games as a right-back but he has the quality to be a centre-back, so for this we will not have a problem."

Ancelotti also revealed that left-back Ashley Cole is ready to return to the starting lineup. The England international has been out for almost two months after picking up an ankle injury against Everton, but after his substitute role last weekend is now approaching full fitness.

"Ashley has a realistic chance to start because he is fit and he wants to play," he said.

"He has the desire to play, because he was out for a long time and he has the will to play."

Didier Drogba: Home Comforts Can Give Chelsea Title Advantage

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba believes home advantage could be crucial as the Blues look to win their first Premier League title since 2006.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are currently one point ahead of Manchester United with three games left, the first of which is against 11th placed Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Chelsea have dropped just five points at home in their 17 league games to date, something the Ivorian believes should give them confidence ahead of Stoke's visit — but not arrogance.

"We have done well at home," Drogba told the club's official website.

"You never know what can happen, games are difficult now. Some teams are trying to save lives but some teams are playing for little and can enjoy themselves, and sometimes then you play better.

"It is going to be difficult — but it is up to us."

Drogba, the club's top scorer after a stellar individual campaign, believes that the crowd can have a big part to play in willing their team to victory, and has called upon them to deliver the atmosphere that has helped on big occasions in the past.

"We need the fans to be really behind us, to be even better than against Bolton [where they won 1-0] in the last game," he said.

"Sunday is the kind of game that we are going to have until the end of the season so we need them to be patient and to really shout and sing and be supportive, that is the only way to win it.

"I remember the games when we were champions, like against Charlton the game after we won it in 2005, and against Manchester United the next year. The atmosphere was amazing, and also on the Champions League nights against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

"These are the kind of atmosphere from the Chelsea supporters when it matters, and now it matters. It is important for them to be there and help us to achieve it."

Drogba's participation is unsure, however, thanks to a hernia injury. But his goals this season have seen the Ivorian come in at No.6 on the Castrol Rankings, making him the Premier League's third best forward behind Fernando Torres (5) and Wayne Rooney (3).

AC Milan Ready To Sell £43m Alexandre Pato To Chelsea

AC Milan are ready to sell star striker Alexandre Pato to Chelsea for £43 million, according to reports from Italy.

Corriere dello Sport are reporting that a new cost-cutting regime at San Siro means the young Brazilian is for sale, but only at the right price. The Rossoneri rejected a £39m bid from the Blues last summer, but the paper believes a slight increase on that offer this summer could see the 20-year-old heading for west London.

Pato has scored 14 goals in 28 games so far this season for Leonardo's side, but is still sweating on Brazil coach Dunga to see whether he'll be making the trip to South Africa for the World Cup in the summer.

If the move is finalised, the paper also reports that Mario Balotelli of rivals Inter will be targeted as a replacement for the 2007 European champions.

The Italian has long been out of favour with Nerazzurri fans, having only recently patched up a disagreement with manager Jose Mourinho, and has previously admitted to being a childhood AC fan.

Pato is the fourth highest ranked forward in Serie A, rated at No.137 in the Castrol Rankings. Only Luca Toni (59), Antonio Di Natale (43) and Alberto Gilardino (30) are rated higher.

Chelsea's Michael Mancienne Open To Staying At Wolverhampton Wanderers

Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne, currently on-loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers, would welcome the chance to stay in the midlands for another season.

The 22-year-old, who has recently excelled playing as a holding midfielder, joined Wolves for a spell last season, and has spent the entire current campaign with Mick McCarthy’s side.

It is currently unknown as to what Carlo Ancelotti has planned for Mancienne, but the England under-21 international is more than happy to stay at Molineux, playing for a Wolves side who are all but assured of another season in the top-flight.

"I want to do the best I can for Wolves to get them safe and then concentrate on where I'm going to be next season," Mancienne told the Express & Star.

"But if I was to come on loan again, Wolves would definitely be in my thoughts. I'm not 100 per cent sure what's happening next season - I've just got to take it as it comes.

"But I'm enjoying it here at Wolves - I get along with all the boys and we're all roughly the same age. There are no bad eggs in the camp."

And Mancienne, who has impressed during both loan spells at Molineux, so much so that Fabio Capello called him up to the full England squad whilst playing in the Championship last season, is ecstatic with his development at Wolves.

"I've definitely progressed as a player," he added. "Playing week-in, week-out has helped me mature as a player because I'm playing against top quality players in the Premier League - that can only be good for my game because it helps me learn."

Ancelotti To Snub Man United Match For Flicks

If Carlo Ancelotti was feeling any anxiety at reaching the final straight of the Premier League race with Sir Alex Ferguson's breath on his neck, he was determined not to show it on Friday.

The Italian coach said he would even find the time to go the cinema before his Chelsea team take on Stoke City on Sunday.

Looking cheerful and relaxed after a practice session at Chelsea's sun-drenched training ground the Italian coach joked he intended to watch Clash of the Titans on Saturday rather than Manchester United taking on Tottenham Hotspur with the chance of leap-frogging his side.

Chelsea enjoy an advantage of only one point with three games left but Ancelotti has long experience as both player and coach of tight championship races.

"I'm not worried because I know football very well. At the end of the season it is always like this. You have to reach your target," Ancelotti said.

"Pressure is the engine of life for me but it's important to maintain control of the stress so instead of staying in front of the television watching that game it's better to go to the cinema."

His task against Stoke City on Sunday, whether United win or lose will be to calm his increasingly anxious side.

"We have a great opportunity to win and so we have to stay calm and quiet. We have to prepare well, without emotion," Ancelotti said. "Of course it's difficult but we don't want to miss the chance."

The players, who failed to consolidate their advantage last week with a lacklustre 2-1 defeat at Tottenham during which captain John Terry was sent off, are feeling the strain more than their boss.

"I think the players feel the pressure now because they are very close to winning the title," the Italian, in his first season in England, said.

"For the last three years they have not won. But that's normal - it's better to be like this than to be 10 points behind and chasing nothing.

"I'm excited at the moment," the track-suited coach said relaxing back in his chair and showing no signs of the emotion. "Because it's the most important time of the season - there's a good atmosphere."

Carlo Ancelotti: Ghost Of Jose Mourinho Doesn't Haunt Me Or Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti does not believe that he and Chelsea are still living in the shadow of former manager Jose Mourinho, who left the club in 2007.

Blues midfielder Joe Cole said this week that the west London club needed to win their first major silverware since the Special One's acrimonious departure in order to finally put his ghost to rest, but Ancelotti doesn't agree.

The Italian has not always seen eye-to-eye with the Portuguese tactician, but despite losing to his Inter side in the Champions League this year does not feel he and the Blues are still in his shadow.

"I understand two things, ghost and Mourinho," Ancelotti told reporters.

"Maybe it's true if Joe Cole says this, but Mourinho is not my ghost.

"He's a very good coach. He's doing a fantastic job at Inter. He did a fantastic Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. But now it's a different story."

Cole was part of Mourinho's Chelsea squad when they last won the league title, in 2006. Now within reach of another success, Cole is hoping the squad can finally go on and win the trophy that has eluded them for three years.

"The fact we have not won the title since Mourinho is probably hanging over us," Cole said.

"We have only won one cup since then and been within the width of a post of winning the Champions League.

"We're hoping it's going to happen this season. We have put ourselves in a great position. Jose is a great manager but he is not the be all and end all for a football club, no one is. It's about the dynamics and how the club works.

"The most frustrating thing for us really is that we should be six or seven points clear."

Celebrating Earth Day With Recycling Success

Chelsea marks Earth Day by announcing we have achieved a 100 per cent rate for recycling waste at Stamford Bridge and the Cobham training ground.

By teaming up with Powerday, London's leading recycling company, even food and contaminated waste can now be processed at the North West London Materials Recycling Facility.

This now means that none of the waste from Stamford Bridge or Cobham goes to landfill.

New machinery at the site also means waste is turned into the fuel which will eventually be used to power the recycling plant itself, cutting down on electricity consumption.

The waste that is generated by the club, which includes drinks bottles, food and its packaging from matchdays as well as all office waste, is collected and taken to Powerday's Materials Recycling Facility only five miles from the stadium. The company is licensed to process 1.6 million tonnes a year there, that's eight per cent of London's waste.

Waste from the club is processed using cutting-edge technology including overband magnets, trommels, shredders, eddy currents and high-speed optical sorting equipment. At each stage in the process a different material is separated, ensuring as much as possible is suitable for recycling. Most of this material remains in the UK, going back into the manufacturing process. The remainder of the material is shredded into an even size to go as 'ready to use' fuel to generate energy from waste.

Chris Alexander, finance and operations director, welcomed the latest environmental initiative: 'We are delighted to be working with Powerday who share our view that we must do all we can to help reduce our impact on the environment. Our commitment to this is something we take extremely seriously.

'We have a number of initiatives to get our staff and fans aware of their own impact on the environment as well as installing energy efficient systems at both Stamford Bridge and Cobham, which is one of the most environmentally-friendly training grounds in the world.'

Powerday is a fellow member of the Green 500 and the London Mayor's Green Procurement Code. The company was a finalist for 'Recycling and Waste Management Business of the Year' in the 2009 National Recycling Awards.

Managing director of Powerday, Mick Crossan added: 'Powerday is proud of its association with Chelsea and commends the club's commitment to recycling. We are delighted to announce this new contract and look forward to continuing a relationship that benefits the club, Powerday and the environment.'

As a life-long Chelsea fan, Crossan is no stranger to the Bridge, and the club's Official Website couldn't resist asking Crossan his views on the season.

'Our season so far has been a real roller coaster and is going to remain a roller coaster until the last game against Wigan,' said Crossan. 'Chelsea are keeping us on the edge of our seats right until the very end.

'Ancelotti knows his stuff though; he's in control of his players and has Ray Wilkins at his side, who's Chelsea through-and-through.

'But it's all going to go down to the final game, which is fantastic for the neutrals but not so good for the fan's heart!'

Mikel Will Be Fit To Play For Nigeria At World Cup

The Nigeria Football Federation says midfielder John Obi Mikel should be fit for their World Cup warm-up match with Colombia in London on 30 May.

There had been doubts after the 23-year-old suffered ankle ligament damage at Tottenham last Saturday.

"Fortunately the damage does not limit his chances of playing at the World Cup as feared," NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire told BBC Sport.

"He will be able to take a major part in training sessions," he added.

"Mikel and Chelsea confirmed that he suffered an injury setback, but he should recover quicker than thought."

He will however miss the rest of the season for Chelsea as they battle for the English Premier League title and the FA Cup.

Meanwhile, the NFF have revealed that the only confirmed friendly match for the Super Eagles before the World Cup will be against Colombia on 30 May in London.

They are still trying to organise a game with Latvia on 23 May as well as one three days later against either Iceland or Honduras.

"But the team is expected to begin an official training camp London from 21 May," Olajire added.

Nigeria are drawn in a World Cup group alongside Greece, Argentina and South Korea.

Deco: Chelsea Formation Change Was Not Players' Decision

Chelsea midfielder Deco has refuted suggestions that the decision to alter the team's formation recently was taken by the players.

The Brazilian-born Portuguese international has insisted that manager Carlo Ancelotti makes all such key decisions at Stamford Bridge and the choice to switch back to a 4-3-3 after experimenting with a diamond 4-4-2 as well as 4-2-3-1 this season was the Italian's alone.

"We did not talk about it, it was the coach's decision," Deco told the Blues' official website.

"I think the formation is just a way to play, it matters more about the characteristics of each player.

"You can say now we are playing 4-3-3, the beginning of the season we played 4-4-2, and of course it is a different way to start the game but it is adapted to the players.

"At one moment it may be better to play one way because of the characteristics of the players and the moment of the team, and now we have three games to win and that is it."

Meanwhile, Deco is also confident that Chelsea have enough experience to fight off the challenge of Manchester United and win the Premier League title this season.

"First thing we need, we need to know that we are first," he added.

"The last three games will be difficult and of course there is pressure in our minds because we need to win our games if Man U win theirs.

"It is a war, and we need to be prepared but, if you said on the first day of the Premier League in August we would be one point clear with three games to go, two at home and one game away, we would all say okay, I'll sign!

"This is okay, it could be better if we won or Man U lost, okay, but it didn't happen, and our moment is this - we have three games, two at home and one away - we need to play well and be together."

And Ancelotti's men have their fate in their own hands now, according to the playmaker.

"No one can say they don't think about this, but we just need to think about the next game," he said.

"We can do the mathematics but it just depends on us, if we win our three games we win the league.

"We don't need to think about the games of Man U, they need to think about our games, we just need to win on Sunday against Stoke and after we will wait another week and try again."

Didier Drogba: I'm Really Struggling With My Fitness

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has told Blues fans what they didn't want to hear - he is not in great shape.

The Ivorian has been struggling with a hernia problem for a number of weeks, culminating in playing in obvious discomfort in last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Blues are now just one point ahead of Manchester United in the Premier League table with three games to go, and Drogba admits it will be a struggle for him to be at his best over the vital last few games of the season.

“The season's long and I've had quite a few niggles and I'm starting to feel it a bit,” the striker said, according to the Ealing Gazette.

“I had a hernia operation six years ago but it's playing up again and causing me discomfort.

“I think maybe adrenaline has got me through matches, but you can't continue for long like that."

It had been reported that the 32-year-old would need an operation to solve the problem, although Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti recently said that any decision would be left to the player himself.

But with the World Cup coming up in the summer, Drogba is unsure when he will be able to fit any treatment in.

“I will see if I need an operation, but something needs to be done because I can't continue like this next season," he said.

“There's no question of having anything done now though, with the World Cup on the way.”

Injury Blow For Chelsea As John Obi Mikel Set For Spell On The Sidelines

John Obi Mikel is the latest player to add to Chelsea's injury concerns, with the club fearing he could miss the remainder of the season.

The 22-year-old Nigerian limped off during the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday, and a scan on Tuesday revealed ankle ligament damage. Consequently, the club stated he is "a doubt" for Sunday's game against Stoke City.

Earlier in the week, Goal.com UK revealed that the club feared Michael Essien might not play for the club before the end of the season, having been out of action since January with knee ligament problems.

"Contrary to this morning's stories stating otherwise, Michael will definitely not be involved against Stoke on Sunday. He is unlikely to play again this season," the club confirmed.

After the defeat to Spurs, Carlo Ancelotti's side are just one point ahead of Manchester United in the Premier League with three games left in the season.

UK Poll Results: Readers Urge Chelsea To Sign Sergio Aguero From Atletico Madrid

lsea should sign Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid during the summer to bolster their strike force for a renewed challenge on the European stage, according to readers of Goal.com UK.

Having exclusively revealed earlier that the Blues have made Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Atleti's Aguero their top transfer targets for a summer splurge, we asked you to voice your opinion as to who would be best suited to wear the Blue jersey next term.

And a majority 27.54 per cent of readers believe that Aguero would make the best summer signing, perhaps owing to his young age coupled with international experience that could prove invaluable for the Blues' quest for the Champions League crown.

Meanwhile, 15.28 per cent go for Alexandre Pato, possibly in the belief that the young Brazilian could gel well with the squad, having already worked with manager Carlo Ancelotti at Milan.

The Stamford Bridge outfit's midfield-heavy squad meant that Ribery amassed only 14.42 per cent of the votes, with the recent red card against Olympique Lyonnais probably playing some part in his score.

14.01 per cent believe that if Liverpool misses out on Champions League qualification this term, Fernando Torres could swap the Red of Merseyside for the Blue of west London during the transfer window.

Valencia hotshot David Villa comes next in line, polling 10.53 per cent of the votes, with the score perhaps reflecting the need for younger blood in the Chelsea squad.

Only a handful of readers (4.18 per cent) believe Robinho would fit hand-in-glove into the Stamford Bridge set-up, following his trouble-filled times at Manchester City that culminated in a loan deal with Santos.

And 5.55 per cent of readers believe that the Blues would be better off signing someone else, while an optimistic 8.44 per cent opine that no signings are required - believing that there will not be a slip between the Cup and the lip next season.

The Ultimate Nightmare Scenario For Roman

Imagine you are Roman Abramovich waking up this morning. Wouldn’t we all love to, but anyway. You open the papers and see the face of the manager you sacked three years ago and the headlines screaming at you. I will reproduce one for his benefit one presuming Roman is not a reader of The Sun. “SPECIAL WON”.

Imagine what it would be like if on the day after the Champions League Final he woke up to similar headlines about Jose’. After having seen Claudio Ranieri winning Italian Serie A (his Roma are at the top of the table one point ahead of Inter), Avram Grant the FA Cup and Fergie and that despicable sidekick of his Gary Neville holding the Premier League. It doesn’t even bear thinking about for us fans, let alone for an owner who has bankrolled the club with millions of pounds of his own money.

The bookies certainly don’t think that is a likely scenario. We are still favourites for The Premiership and the FA Cup, Barcelona, despite yesterday’s result are favourites for the Champions League and given Ranieri’s track record in twenty five years of coaching, Roma will probably contrive to fluff their lines.

Still, stranger things have been known to happen in football and I am sure that Abramovich sometimes stops to ponder over his managerial appointments since he bought Chelsea.

Scolari barely deserves a mention except to wonder who thought appointing him as Chelsea manager was a good idea. Prior to Chelsea he had never managed a club in Europe, he barely spoke the language and never even learned to pronounce the name of the club properly. He won the World Cup some would say. Who wouldn’t with Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and a whole of world class players in your squad?

Claudio Ranieri was a dead man walking the minute the ink was dry on Roman’s contract to buy Chelsea. The miracle was that he lasted a whole season. Events conspired against Abramovich when it came to sacking Ranieri. He either had to sack Ranieri within a few days of his takeover or else stick with him for the whole season as all the best managers would have found a club by then. We were in the title hunt till February, so that worked in Ranieri’s favour. A couple of months after we lost to Arsenal in February, effectively ruling us out the running for the league, we beat the Gooners in the Champions League quarter final but even that was not enough to save Ranieri’s bacon. The deal with Mourinho was done on the day Chelsea played against Monaco in the first leg of the semi final. Which, I am sure you all painfully remember, Ranieri blew big time.

Grant’s appointment remains one of the big mysteries in Chelsea’s history. Why Grant? No track record to speak of, the charisma of a cloistered nun and absolutely nothing to suggest that he would ever be accepted by the players after Jose’. Still the lucky bugger got a three year contract but only lasted one. Under Grant we got to the Champions League Final and challenged United for the Premier League till the very end. Who should get the credit for that is still under debate. My sources tell me that the team was run by JT, Ballack, Drogba and to a lesser extent Frank Lampard. Given Grant’s record before he joined Chelsea I tend to believe it.

As for Jose’ Mourinho you just don’t know where to start. Before Jose’ there were three certainties in football – Arsene Wenger complaining about Chelsea’s new found riches, United getting loads of injury time whenever they need a goal and Chris Kamara saying “incredible Jeff” at least twenty times every time he is on Gillette Soccer Saturday.

Since Jose’ came onto the scene another certainty can be added to that list. Jose’ Mourinho wins trophies. In the last six seasons he has been in business Jose’ has won the league five times with three different teams in three countries. He has won cups galore (Portughese, FA Cup and Coppa Italia, Champions League and UEFA Cup). Quite simply he is a serial winner.

The question is, what if, God forbid, we don’t win the league this season? Jose’ is fed up to the nose in Italy. Is it possible that the thoughts that cross the mind of each and every Chelsea fan whenever we see Jose’ on the telly occur to Roman.

Paulo Ferreira: Winning The FA Cup But Not The Premier League Would Be An 'Anti Climax'

Winning the FA Cup will mean nothing if Chelsea doesn’t claim the Premier League title also, reckons Blues right-back Paulo Ferreira.

The Blues face Pompey at Wembley on May 15, but currently sitting top of the league, Ferreira would be disappointed if his side went into the clash not league champions.

“I think it would be an anti-climax in a way, because we are three years now without winning the league and of course we are not happy,” Ferreira said, according to the Ealing Gazette.

“A club like Chelsea should always try to win the league first and we want to do it this year. The last three years, Manchester United were better than us, but this season we have three games to win and it is in our hands.

“We don't want to think about going into the final game of the season at Wembley not being champions again. It happened before and we don't want that again because it's important to win titles – even if cups are also important.

“It's hard to win everything, but it was particularly disappointing not to win the Champions League this year."

The 31 year-old also believes such disappointments - being knocked out of the Champions League by Jose Mourinho's Inter - will spur Chelsea on to make sure they win the double.

“That will make us try even harder to make sure we go to the FA Cup final as champions.”

Ferreira has been enjoying a rare spell of games at right-back in the absence of the injured Jose Bosingwa and Branislav Ivanovic and has made 12 Premier League appearances so far this season.

Chelsea Should Sign Bastian Schweinsteiger This Summer

With another FA Cup final, three games remaining on the Premier League fixture list and one point between Chelsea and second placed Manchester United, it may be a little premature for the Blue’s management and players to think about summer transfers. Mercifully, as pundits and fans, we do not have to play Liverpool with the additional worry of the reigning champions snapping behind us, and can afford ourselves this idle speculation.

With an ageing but still potent team, Chelsea should only look to replace one member of the starting eleven – Michael Ballack. The German captain has played plenty this season, but has routinely looked average and tired when on the pitch. While he is still a fine midfielder, he should no longer claim a starting berth over Lampard, Essien or Mikel. The reasons for this are simple. He doesn’t bring the athletic dynamism of the Ghanian, the assists and goal return of the Englishman, or the youth and adequate defensive shielding of the Nigerian.

Essentially he is an old utility midfielder, a player who can be trusted to make the right pass but who can no longer run for ninety minutes, a player with an ego that demands stroking but increasingly, doesn’t deserve it.

But Chelsea have an excellent replacement ready should Bayern Munich prove to be willing bartering partners.

In Bastian Schweinsteiger, the Blues have a flexible player able to take on almost any role in the midfield position, much like his international Captain Ballack used to be able to provide.

“Schweini” could star as a direct replacement for Die Mannschaft captain in the central role, especially given his excellence in this position for his Bavarian club this campaign. He has displayed both the ability to spread the ball around and to work very hard to win the ball back for his side. But his abilities and uses are far greater than just being a hard working trooper, a man willing to run down opponents and lay off passes to the creative attacking types.

He can also function as a wide midfielder, and though lacking the pace and intricate dribbling associated with natural wingers like his teammate Arjen Robben, Schweinsteiger can put in enough accurate crosses to force any defense to adjust to this menace.
With Flourent Malouda, Ashley Cole and Yuri Zhirkov wreaking havoc on the left, Chelsea’s right has appeared tame. Branislav Ivanovic can be counted on for a couple of good crosses per game on top of his usual solid defending, but the right just does not have the same threat for the Blues that the opposite side carries. The right wingers in the Blues’ 4-3-3 – Anelka or Joe Cole or Solomon Kalou – are not as naturally suited to this role like Malouda is on the left and thus, the wide right attacks suffer.
Adding the German international to the right would improve Chelsea’s options in attack and force any opposition to consider how to contain both flanks equally. A tactical change to a 4-4-2 to include both Anelka as a pure striker and Schweinsteiger’s wide play would certainly give pause to anyone in Europe.

But, as mentioned earlier, Schweinsteiger has become one of Europe’s top central midfielders this season, and could therefore also fill in that role in Chelsea’s 4-3-3 or Ancelotti’s old favorite, the 4-4-2 diamond. With now constant injuries to Essien, Schweinsteiger could very well claim his place in the starting XI.

Additionally, he has shown for Germany that he can be a very good attacking player, although the presence of certain French and Dutch footballers on his club team seem to have prevented the repetition of his fairly impressive German goal return for Munich. Given more room to attack and fewer defensive responsibilities however, he should be able to knock in a goal every few games or so for the Blues.

Further, his relative youth means his performance would not dip so dramatically as both games and the seasons wear on. While not an explosive player, he certainly won’t visibly deteriorate during every ninety minute match. In the generally epic, tri-pronged (at least) campaigns Chelsea have involved themselves in over the past handful of seasons, the importance of players with sufficient energy come April and May should not be underestimated.

Lastly, his ego does not seem to reflect his quality on the pitch. While this might not seem to be so important, it could be argued that one of Chelsea’s biggest flaws of the past few seasons has come from the generally unpleasant attitude conveyed by some of their megalomaniacal stars. While this is by no means true for the entire squad, having another player who won’t add to this image can’t hurt.

While some might yearn for Sergio Aguero or Luis Suarez or some other player who can help add a cutting edge (although why another forward is needed is still a mystery to me), “Basti” is probably the player Chelsea need to become younger and more competitive in an area that needs instant repair.

The club should make the bid before the World Cup, as his price tag will shoot up come July if he repeats his excellent performances for Germany as he has done for most of his career. The chance to do so is now; come August, half of Europe may be splashing out on the midfield star.

Chelsea Resigned To Losing Michael Essien For Rest Of Season

Chelsea will be without Michael Essien for the remainder of the domestic season after the Ghanaian accepted his recovery from a knee injury would drag on beyond the FA Cup final against Portsmouth.

Essien has not featured for the league leaders since early December, when he tore a hamstring while scoring Chelsea's opening goal at Stamford Bridge in a Champions League group game against Apoel Nicosia. He was deemed fit enough to join up with his national squad at the Africa Cup of Nations, only to partially tear the medial ligament and damage the meniscus in his left knee while training during the tournament in Angola.

The Premier League club had initially anticipated a six-week absence – some of which was spent rehabilitating alongside Ashley Cole in the south of France – and, only two weeks ago, Carlo Ancelotti had suggested he was hopeful the 27-year‑old would be available to return to the first team for the potentially critical league game at Liverpool on 2 May.

Yet that optimism has been tempered by a series of minor complications and setbacks to delay his recovery, with the joint still prone to swell up after any strenuous work. The club's medical staff continue to monitor his progress and are confident he will be fit enough to play in the summer's World Cup finals in South Africa – where Ghana could meet England in the first knockout phase – but there is little hope of him contributing on the pitch as Chelsea pursue the first Double in their history.

Essien is expected to confirm as much publicly before the weekend, with Chelsea now resigned to doing without him over the final three league games of the campaign – starting against Stoke City on Sunday – and the FA Cup showpiece against Portsmouth at Wembley. "We were hoping that Michael would have recovered before the final game of the season, but it now looks unlikely that he will feature for us again this season," confirmed a club spokesman.

The player remains optimistic that he will still be able to play in the summer tournament, in which his side must confront Serbia, Germany and Australia in Group D. The Ghana coach, Milovan Rajevac, is due to name his 23‑man squad in mid-May, to meet at a training camp in France on 24 May, prior to friendlies against Latvia, Holland and a third opponent to be confirmed. The game against the Latvians takes place on 5 June in Milton Keynes with the team travelling to Pretoria the following day.

His absence is a blow for Chelsea ahead of the run-in. The Londoners have long missed Essien's dynamism but Mikel John Obi, the only other recognised defensive midfielder in their squad, will be absent for Sunday's visit of Stoke City with his own knee ligament problem, suffered initially in a challenge from Bolton's Kevin Davies last week but aggravated against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

That will leave Ancelotti to play either Michael Ballack or Deco in the role in the hope that Mikel recovers his fitness in time for the games against Liverpool and Wigan Athletic. The Italian was encouraged at least that Didier Drogba played a full part in training at Cobham today as the players returned from two days off following their defeat at Spurs.

The Ivorian has been suffering from a hernia problem but will only decide at the end of the domestic season whether or not to undergo keyhole surgery on the injury before the World Cup finals.

Chelsea Put Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero And Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery On Summer Shopping List

Chelsea are closely monitoring Sergio Aguero and Franck Ribery as they plan their summer recruitment, Goal.com UK has learned. Sources close to the club say the pair head a list of prospective buys as the Blues prepare for a busy summer of transfer activity.

Aguero was quoted in the English media yesterday lavishing praise on the London club, calling them "great" and stressing his enthusiasm for the prospect of life in the English capital. His national team coach - and father-in-law - Diego Maradona has previously been expressed a desire to see 'Kun' follow in his footsteps by heading to Italy, with Jose Mourinho's Inter also interested; but the striker seems to feel his pace and technique will be better suited to the Premier League.

The Argentinian international is coming to the end of his fourth season in the Spanish capital and has long since become frustrated with the club's chaotic infrastructure. Though Quique Sanchez Flores' side are still in the hunt for silverware, with the Copa del Rey final to come and a Europa League semi-final with Liverpool on the horizon, they are languishing in 10th place in their domestic championship and for next season, a return to the Europa League is the best they can hope for. Atleti are heavily in debt and will need to sell at least one big name to fill the financial void left by the lack of Champions League football, so it is likely Chelsea will have room to negotiate a bargain, having privately let it be known that they are not keen to pay anywhere near Aguero's €60 million buy-out clause.

After moving to Spain in 2006, having just turned 18, Aguero endured a tough first season in La Liga before hitting 19 league goals in his sophomore year to propel Atleti into the Champions League - a notable achievement, and one that even club legend Fernando Torres was unable to manage.

Now 21, Kun's arrival at Stamford Bridge would provide a major fillip to a frontline reliant on the fine form of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, who are 32 and 31, respectively.

Meanwhile Ribery's future is even more up for discussion, with the winger approaching the final year of his contract in Munich. President Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has not ruled out the possibility of keeping the Frenchman, but with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Chelsea, closely monitoring the situation; it looks like they will have their work cut out to keep him.

The 27-year-old has started only seven Bundesliga games in the current campaign, having been stymied by a series of niggling injuries, but is returning to peak form as Bayern chase a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble. The player himself has suggested a decision on his future is imminent, though his connection with the current prostitution scandal involving the French national team makes an announcement in the next few weeks unlikely.

Ribery's signing would add creativity and dynamism to a Chelsea midfield in which Joe Cole is still uncertain of his future, with his current deal set to expire in the summer.

Drogba In Running For Semi-Final Award

The part Didier Drogba played in Chelsea beating Aston Villa to reach the FA Cup Final has earned our top scorer a nomination for the competition's Player of the Round.

Drogba broke the deadlock at Wembley when he turned in John Terry's volley and won Man of the Match on the day for his overall contribution to the 3-0 win.

He is one of five players up for the award with the winner to be decided by votes from supporters via the FA's website.

The other nominees are Aaron Mokoena, David James and Ricardo Rocha of our Final opponents Portsmouth, and Tottenham's Gareth Bale.

Essien Fears World Cup Absence

Michael Essien fears he may not be fit enough to play at this summer's World Cup after resigning himself to the fact he will not return for Chelsea this season.

The Blues admitted the Ghana midfielder was unlikely to make a late return for their bid to claim the domestic double after injuries have prevented him from appearing for the west Londoners since December.

Essien had hoped to return for this Sunday's home match with Stoke, but after complications in his rehabilitation from a knee injury the 27-year-old fears he may not even be ready to lead his country to South Africa.

Asked if he thought he would be fit for the World Cup, Essien said: "As at now I don't know. I am just taking it day by day and if I can make it I will.

"If not then I will have sit at home and support the team like every Ghanaian.

"Until I know how the injury improves in the coming days and weeks, it will be difficult to say whether I will make the World Cup or not."

Essien suffered the knee injury while on national team duty at the African Nations Cup in January as Ghana went on to lose in the final to Egypt.

The midfielder is central to Ghana's hopes in South Africa, but with their first game against Serbia on June 13 he is reluctant to play unless fully fit.

"Yes it will be (disappointing to miss out) but the World Cup is the best and most difficult football tournament in the world and I would rather be there fully fit," he added on his official website www.michaelessiengh.com.

"We will just have to wait and see."

Essien had originally hoped to be back in action in time for Chelsea's home Champions League leg against Inter Milan.

But his knee continued to swell up and the player underwent four lots of surgery inside a fortnight.

He began a running programme as a part of his rehabilitation last week, but suffered discomfort in his knee which further slowed his recovery and resigned him to sitting out the remainder of the season.

"I will not make the Stoke game and to be honest it is possible my season for Chelsea may be over," he added.

"It is still down to the medical team but it looks more unlikely that I will play for Chelsea again this season.

"I have been dreaming about coming back and helping the team win a trophy or two like last season but sometimes dreams don't always come true.

"I am supporting the other guys in different ways at the training ground and I have every confidence that they will deliver."

He added: "The medical team are doing a brilliant job and I can't thank them enough.

"I started running last week but had to stop because of slight pains I was feeling in my leg. It is a minor setback which I could do without but that is part of the game we play.

"It has ups and downs and one has to stay focused."