Community Shield Preview: Chelsea vs Manchester United

Chelsea and Manchester United meet in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday hoping to collect silverware in their first game of the season.

The Blues secured their first ever Double last season when an emphatic 8-0 win over Wigan Athletic won them the league title for the first time in four years, before a 1-0 victory against Portsmouth at Wembley saw them win the FA Cup for the second successive year.

Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will be looking to emulate their achievements of the season before last, when they won the Premier League to complete a hat-trick of titles. Last season saw them win the League Cup and finish runners-up to Chelsea in the Premier League, so they will be determined to go at least one better than that. Their task may prove to be more difficult this season, though, as rivals Manchester City have strengthened over the summer and are ready to launch a genuine title challenge.

Both sides have had an indifferent run-up to the new season with players joining up at different times due to their World Cup commitments, but both Carlo Ancelotti and Ferguson have added new players to their squads.

Chelsea have brought in Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool for a fee believed to be in the region of £6 million, and are expected to complete the £18m signing of Benfica’s Ramires in the next few days, while United have signed youngsters Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez for undisclosed fees.

Ancelotti’s side has had a poor pre-season results wise. A 1-0 win over Crystal Palace has been followed up by three consecutive defeats away to Ajax, Frankfurt and Hamburg, prompting criticism of Ross Turnbull, Hilario and John Terry for defensive errors made in these games.

Manchester United began their pre-season with a tour of America where they beat Celtic, Philadelphia Union and the MLS All-Stars, but losses to Kansas City Wizards and Guadalajara prevented them from leaving the States unbeaten. A 7-1 win over a League of Ireland XI in midweek sends the Red Devils into Sunday’s clash on form and they will be looking to get one over on the Blues, who beat them on penalties at Wembley in last season’s Community Shield.

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

Petr Cech will miss the start of the season with a calf injury so Hilario will take his place ahead of Ross Turnbull.

Didier Drogba has to settle for a place on the bench, while Alex (calf) and Jose Boswingwa (knee) are ruled out.

Carlo Ancelotti has named his starting line-up and has stuck with the same 10 outfield players who began the 2-1 loss to Hamburg on Wednesday.

Confirmed starting XI: Hilario; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Essien, Mikel, Lampard; Kalou, Anelka, Malouda.

Manchester United

England captain Rio Ferdinand is again missing with the knee injury that ruled him out of the World Cup.

Brazilian duo Rafael da Silva and Fabio da Silva will also miss the game through illness, while Michael Carrick (ankle) has been ruled out for the first two weeks of the season.

Sir Alex, who has confirmed that Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney will play 45 minutes each, has given Patrice Evra an extra week off following his exploits with France at the World Cup.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; Neville, Vidic, Evans, O’Shea; Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Park; Owen, Berbatov.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea

Didier Drogba will undoubtedly play a major role for the Blues this season, and could make the difference this Sunday once again - as he has done so often. The Ivorian enjoyed his best season at Stamford Bridge last season, netting 37 times throughout the campaign on his way to winning the Premier League Golden Boot. Although the Ivorian is starting on the bench, don’t put it past him to be the match-winner.

Manchester United

The Red Devils’ key man against Chelsea could be new signing Javier Hernandez. The 22-year-old starred for Mexico at this summer’s World Cup and has already caught the eye of the United faithful, scoring on his debut after coming on as a substitute against the MLS All-Stars. Sir Alex has a tendency to start the players who did so well for him in the previous season in these kind of games, but the Mexican will be desperate to make an impact if called upon from the bench.

Manchester United And Chelsea To Play On Wembley's New Artificial Pitch

Everyone seems to think Desso is the answer, and when Chelsea and Manchester United contest Sunday's Community Shield the first evidence will be provided of whether artificial fibres can finally solve Wembley's terrible pitch problems.

At a cost of no less than £250,000 and probably closer to twice that amount the Football Association last month turned to a system that employs 20 million artificial fibres to support Wembley's natural grass, having previously relaid the surface an embarrassing 11 times. Every player who experienced it has criticised a surface that Michael Owen, who should feature for United on Sunday, believes caused the ruptured hamstring he suffered in February's Carling Cup.

Yet as Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool are among clubs that use Desso all Premier League footballers happily perform on the surface each week. Helga Webers, a spokeswoman for the company, said: "The system is a proven solution. All Premier League players are used to it as it has been in place already at Arsenal [2006], Liverpool [2001], Tottenham [2002], Manchester City [2003], Aston Villa [1997].

"Obviously the Wembley pitch is still a very young pitch. But from day one of the installation of the Desso fibres into the seeded grass the stabilising effect is present," Webers adds. "And the quality of the total pitch will continue to improve as the roots of the natural grass will further entwine with the artificial fibres."

Huddersfield Town's Galpharm Stadium was the first in the world to have the Desso technology installed. "We had it installed in 1997," said Phil Armitage, whose company oversees the surface. "It is very similar to ordinary pitches but Desso pitches do not take divots as easily as so it is hard wearing, which is obviously a very good thing."

The Galpharm, like Wembley, is a multi-functional venue that hosts football, rugby and pop concerts. Armitage said: "With the two sports some years we might have 65 or 70 matches – which is more than twice the 30 home games most clubs have – plus the concerts. It has been very successful indeed."

Armitage said whether Desso is a success at Wembley depends on whether the surface's natural grass is maintained: "I'm no expert but at Wembley isn't there an issue growing the grass? They can use lights to help it I'm sure. But you can't just scoop it out and relay it as it is so expensive. We're having ours relaid next year and it'll cost at least £500,000."

Webers confirms that Wembley's grass will have to grow. "That is important. Therefore we have a special maintenance program in place, together with our [English] partner, the Wembley green-keepers and our own experts," she said.

Beyond Sunday's Community Shield the FA is conscious that the first real test of whether Desso is the answer comes on 10-11 September, when Muse play concerts at the stadium. While the governing body is adopting a watching brief Webers points to the Denver Broncos' Mile High Stadium as evidence that Wembley should have no issues.

"For any concert there the surface will be covered by special plates. The Denver Broncos have had a multi-function stadium since 2001 and have had no problems. Climate conditions can be the biggest challenge for Desso but in Denver they can get a metre of snow. The pitch received the awards for best Professional American Football and Best Professional Soccer Field in 2005."

When England walk out on 12 October for their Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro, a month will have passed since the Muse concerts. If the pitch cuts up and further complaints ensue then the FA will have yet another serious headache. The plan is to use the Desso pitch for the 2018 World Cup, should the bid be won.

Former Chelsea Star Kerry Dixon Still Hopes Blues Can Sign Fernando Torres

Kerry Dixon has spoken of his hope that Chelsea will manage to prise Fernando Torres away from Liverpool, despite the Spanish striker's public statement confirming he will stay at Anfield.

Speaking to Goal.com UK at the Betfair Five Horse Race at Kempton Park, Dixon - Chelsea's second top scorer of all time having hit 193 goals during a nine-year spell at Stamford Bridge - said current leading scorer Didier Drogba needed world-class support as the Blues aim to build on the Premier League and FA Cup double captured in Carlo Ancelotti's first season as boss.

"Didier's 32, and age isn't a factor if you're playing well," Dixon said. "But you can't expect him to score 30 goals every single season. He's had two golden seasons at Chelsea, but I'd love to see another world-class striker - and a young one - at the club.

"I would have thought they'd buy a striker. I hoped it would be Torres. I still haven't given up hope."

Ancelotti has overseen another quiet transfer window, signing just Yossi Benayoun with the Brazilian Ramires - "a good buy," Dixon said - set to join him. But Chelsea's erstwhile striking star believes the comeback of a few Blues stars from injury limits the need to splash the cash.

"The feature of our pre-season has been Michael Essien being fit," he argued, "showing no reaction to his injury. He's like a new £30m player this season. Jose Bosingwa is in the same category."

Dixon also backed Ancelotti's policy of promoting young players and bringing down the squad's average age. "It's great. I wondered what direction the club would go in. It gives them the opportunity to cut that wage bill, but it does mean the youngsters have got to step up to the plate when they're given their opportunity."

The 49-year-old was impressed by Ancelotti's first year in charge and doesn't think that his successes put any more pressure on him going into his sophomore season. "A double in your first year is a hard act to follow and it might seem as if anything less is a failure," he said, "but that's not the case. Chelsea will challenge for every competition they're in, including the Champions League."

Dixon feels they are close to achieving owner Roman Abramovich's major remaining goal. "They just need that little bit of luck to win it," said Dixon. "They've certainly got a squad that's good enough."

As far as their Premier League campaign goes, the eight-time capped England international expects big-spending Manchester City to provide stiff opposition this season.

"I think City will be a threat," he warned. "It will be difficult for all the big names to gel, but they've got the buying power to strengthen in January, any areas that haven't quite come up to scratch. But I still feel ultimately that it will be Chelsea and United fighting it out."

Real Madrid Playmaker Kaka Was On His Way To Chelsea Before Knee Operation

Brazilian playmaker Kaka was reportedly on his way to Chelsea from Real Madrid until a meniscus injury scuttled the transfer.

According to the Spanish Sport newspaper, Kaka, who underwent an operation to repair the cartilage in his knee this week, had been given the green light by Real Madrid to leave.

The paper says that negotiations were held in the “utmost secrecy” between Real Madrid and Chelsea. It claims that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke with Kaka ’s representatives, and that the player, who is said not be held in the highest regard by Bernabeu boss Jose Mourinho, had been persuaded by the Blues to move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea chief Roman Abramovich was said to have offered his Real counterpart Florentino Perez 67 million euros for the player, around the price the La Liga club paid AC Milan for his services last year.

But the apparent deal was wrecked when it was announced that the Brazilian would be out for at least four months injured.

Michael Essien: I'm Fighting Fit For Premier League Season

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is ready to burst out of the blocks and shake off the disappointment from last season's injury nightmare.

Essien, 27, missed the Africa Cup of Nations, World Cup 2010 and most of his club's campaign after damaging ligaments in his knee.

Despite the Blues' charge to Premier League and FA Cup success, his tenacious presence was missed as they crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.

Speaking to the official Chelsea magazine, the Ghana international was in upbeat mood as he looked forward to the challenges ahead.

"I've had a few months that have been very difficult," explained Essien.

"But it was good to be back with the team at the start of pre-season and I'm looking forward to the new season. Fortunately I'm the type of person who takes everything as it comes and very calmly, and that's what I've been doing through my rehabilitation."

Ancelotti Stands Firm Over Cole

Carlo Ancelotti has reiterated his position that Ashley Cole is not for sale at any price.

England left back Cole has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, where he would link up once again with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

There has been no word from Cole on the subject, but Ancelotti has been steadfast in his assessment that Chelsea will not consider selling the defender and he has no plans to talk to the 29-year-old.

"I don't need to speak with Ashley Cole," the Italian said. "I read that Ashley Cole wants to leave. My answer was I want Ashley Cole to stay at Chelsea because he's a fantastic player and there is no price for which to sell him."

Ancelotti also scoffed at suggestions there are comparisons with Cole and his namesake Joe Cole who joined Liverpool on a free transfer this summer.

"Joe Cole was a financial problem - it was not a technical problem," Ancelotti said. "They didn't achieve an agreement with the club about his salary. This is not the problem of Ashley Cole. Ashley Cole has a contract - I don't know how long his contract is - and you want to respect this."

Ancelotti Rubbishes Coentrao Rumours

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has quashed speculation linking him with a move for Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao.

Rumours continue to circulate about a possible transfer to Real Madrid for Ashley Cole but Ancelotti has reiterated his desire to keep the former Arsenal star at Stamford Bridge.

When asked about the Coentrao rumours, Ancelotti said: "It is not true, totally rubbish."

However, the Blues boss has confirmed that he expects the £18million capture of Benfica's Brazil international Ramires to be sealed shortly, adding: "Ramires is, until now, a Benfica player. When he is here, I can speak about him, not now.

"I don't want to speak about Ramires. When Ramires signs a contract for Chelsea, he will sign. This is the same for other players. I read a lot of names in the newspapers."

Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti have all left Chelsea since the end of last season, while the only high-profile arrival has been Yossi Benayoun, and Ancelotti admitted: "For us, after a fantastic season, it was very difficult to change this squad.

"We were totally agreed to maintain this squad. To put some young players in this squad from our academy, this was our aim. After a fantastic season, we could repeat the same season this year with these players.

"I think that the teams that can win the title will be the same as last year, including, obviously, Man City, because they've bought fantastic players."

Carlo Ancelotti Believes Chelsea Can Win The Treble This Season

Carlo Ancelotti has delivered a warning to his rivals at home and abroad by claiming he is a better manager a year on from taking over at Chelsea and, as such, can steer the club to the first Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble in their history.

The Italian enjoyed a hugely successful first season at Stamford Bridge, winning the title and the FA Cup, and ahead of the new campaign, which begins with Sunday's Community Shield contest against Manchester United at Wembley, feels sure there is more to come – not only from his squad, but also himself.

"I had doubts last year, when I started, but now I have more knowledge about the team and club and about the atmosphere in England and the teams here and so I think we will start the season in a different situation," said Ancelotti, who had managed in Italy for 14 years before his arrival in England last June, most notably at Milan where he won the Champions League twice and Serie A once. "I think so [that he is a better manager]. Last year was a fantastic experience for me and I have improved because of it."

Being holders will, Ancelotti believes, make retaining the league and FA Cup "more difficult" for Chelsea, but he sees no reason why they cannot. He has also backed his team to end their long pursuit of the Champions League, which last season ended at the first knockout stage with defeat to the eventual winners, Internazionale.

"Last year every player did their best and we want to do the same again," he said. "We plan to be competitive and do better in the Champions League."

Chelsea's preparation for the new campaign has hardly been ideal, with the team having lost their last three pre-season fixtures, most recently Wednesday's 2-1 defeat at Hamburg.

Ancelotti is not overly concerned, however, and has instead put the poor run of form down to lack of sharpness among his players, especially those who only returned to the club at end of last month having featured at the World Cup.

To that end, the 51-year-old has broken rank with many of his fellow Premier League managers, in particular Harry Redknapp, by claiming next week's international friendlies can be a benefit ahead of the opening weekend of the season.

"It's not a problem," he insisted. "The players who came back on 26 July need to play more and if they have the possibility then that is good. These games can improve their condition."

One player who looks set to be part of Chelsea's squad when they begin the defence of their title against West Bromwich Albion next Saturday is Ramires. The Brazil midfielder is believed to have passed a medical at the club's Cobham base on Thursday ahead of a £18.3m move from Benfica. The 23-year-old last night described a move to Chelsea as a "proposition that was impossible to reject".

Ancelotti declined to discuss the Ramires transfer and instead focused on the Community Shield, which Chelsea won last season on penalties against United in what was his first competitive match in charge of the Londoners. "For both teams it's an important game," said Ancelotti. "Also, United could again be our most important opponents this season so need to beat them when we can."

Ivanovic: Aiming Even Higher

As the new season arrives, Branislav Ivanovic is hoping he can repeat the form of last year, in whichever position he is selected by manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The Serbian defender was voted into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year last season after his impressive displays at right-back, but it is at the centre of defence where he has featured so far in pre-season alongside John Terry.

Although 'Iva' was withdrawn with a cut eye against Hamburg on Wednesday, he will be fit for Sunday's Community Shield game against Manchester United at Wembley.

Ricardo Carvalho is an experienced alternative should Ancelotti wish to send the former Lokomotiv Moscow man back out wide, though that would be at the expense of Paulo Ferreira who has performed solidly in his two pre-season outings.

Add into the mix the imminent return to fitness Jose Bosingwa, and it is understandable the 26-year-old is taking nothing for granted.

'I don't look at it like a battle. Jose is a fantastic player, he has been injured almost a year and we are waiting for him to be fit again so that he can help the team, that is the most important thing,' Ivanovic said.

'I am here to play wherever the manager says, and for me it is good because I can play in two positions.

'For me last season was a great season, but every season you can do better and I will give my maximum and hope I can give the club more than last season. Every time you win you want to show next year you are better, so we must do that.'

The first test of the new campaign comes on Sunday against Manchester United at Wembley, and while neither side looks to be completely match fit yet, owing to World Cup commitments, Ivanovic is looking forward to the occasion as pre-season comes to an end.
'I feel good, some of us have only just started pre-season which is a very important period. It is the base for a long season, and I feel okay.

'It is always a tough game against Man United, but I think we will be as ready as we can and we need to give our maximum against them. Next season is going to be tough and we will have to be ready for that.'

Wembley Win Would Give Carlo Ancelotti The Psychological Advantage

Sustaining superiority over Manchester United is a feat very few clubs have achieved since the Premier League began but Chelsea have an opportunity this weekend to signal their intent to do precisely that.

Since losing the 2008 Champions League Final in the most agonizing of circumstances in Moscow, the Blues have lost only once to United — and that came in the dying throes of Luiz Felipe Scolari's turbulent regime in January last year.

Last season, Chelsea won the battle and the war with home and away League victories over their nearest rivals on the way to the first Double success in the club's history. It left Sir Alex Ferguson with plenty of time to contemplate the latest pretenders attempting to bring his Old Trafford dynasty to its knees once and for all.

Carlo Ancelotti could have done little more in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge and his challenge now is to translate a season of domestic success into European glory while maintaining English dominance.

To do that, Chelsea must keep United suppressed and victory at Wembley on Sunday would provide a timely reminder of exactly who rules the roost on these shores.

The Community Shield represents the metaphorical bridge between the informality of pre-season warm-ups and the fireball intensity of Premier League games.

Despite essentially encompassing little more than a glorified friendly, what gives this match an edge is firstly the setting but, more importantly, the fact it regularly pitches the two most prominent title contenders against one another.

Such is the rivalry created over many years that no label — Charity, Community or otherwise — will dampen the desire for one-upmanship.

“Over the years we have treated the game as a barometer for the players' fitness,” Ferguson once said of this game. “But when we play Chelsea the players' pride comes into it and they'll want to uphold that.”

And so the scene is set. The same two sides contested the Community Shield last year in a surprisingly entertaining encounter which served up four goals, a penalty shoot-out and plenty of contention.

Those in attendance will get their money's worth should Sunday approach anything akin to that, and there is a fair chance of fireworks given the shift in the balance of power over the past 12 months.

A number of beleaguered England players should find solace at Wembley — although probably not four days later when Hungary are in town — among the comforts of their clubs.

Frank Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole can feel like winners again, safe in the knowledge that whatever the travails in South Africa, they remain pivotal and popular players in Chelsea blue.

The World Cup was in one sense kind to Chelsea, given that none of their players made it to the quarter-final stage and consequently their exertions were not as great as could have been reasonably anticipated.

For United, much once again depends on Wayne Rooney and his reaction to a summer that could have hardly gone worse. Although palpably unfit, Rooney's dismal showing for England — not one goal and at times he simply lost the ability to control a football — could not solely be explained by fatigue.

Whether the pressure that comes with his talismanic status got the better of him is debateable but in any event the return to his preferred role as a lone striker will suit him no end.

Rooney may well incur the wrath of those England fans desperate to vent their frustration but manager Ferguson has dealt with this before when David Beckham, and later Christiano Ronaldo, were targeted.

The key to United's durability under Sir Alex is a consistently impressive response to adversity.

The 68-year-old will no doubt dismiss the importance of the result, regardless of who wins, but there is the need to lay down a marker after a summer in which the club has been quieter on the transfer market than supporters would have liked.

Indeed, there is little to surprise either party, with Mexican striker Javier Hernandez the only high-profile acquisition on either side, although Ancelotti could be tempted to unleash the prodigal Gael Kakuta at a later stage.

There is little to be gained by drawing definitive conclusions from the merits of victory on Sunday.

While the last three winners have gone on to lift the League title, the wider picture dismisses any correlation. Since 1992, only six clubs were successful in both August and May. Superficially, Sunday will witness two sides continuing their pre-season preparations knowing a fast start is perhaps more important than ever given the strength of challengers at the top end of the table these days.

But a second successive Community Shield victory for Chelsea would provide the beginning to an irrefutable argument that last season's success was no fluke and show how high United must climb if they are to rise again.

Lampard: Why Are England Playing This Game?

Frank Lampard says next Wednesday's England friendly is an unwanted distraction.

Fabio Capello's men face Hungary just three days before the Premier League kick-off.

And Lamps said: "It's obviously not an ideal situation.

"I've only been back in pre-season training for a week and a half and a lot of clubs are having the same problems with their World Cup players.

"All the teams want to get players fit for the start of the season.

"But England also need to prepare for the European Championship qualifying games.

"Right now I'm just excited to be back at Chelsea.

"But the Hungary match has always been there on the calendar so as a professional playing for your country you go and you play."

Capello names his England squad for the match tomorrow night but will run a final check on Lampard and his Chelsea team-mates in Sunday's Community Shield clash with Manchester United.

Marseille Interested In Re-Signing Drogba

Marseille are stepping up their bid to sign a high profile striker to aid their Champions League push.

The current Ligue 1 champions are considering three players according to reports from France; Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, Fiorentina’s Alberto Gilardino and Ajax’s Luis Suarez.

The Stade Velodrome outfit feels they have the funds to bag at least one of these high profile targets according to La Provence.

Currently only a concrete asking price is known for Gilardino, with Fiorentina wanting €15M to allow their Italy international to depart.

Didier Deschamps’ team could yet lose Mamadou Niang, despite stating that they did not wish to sell their striker. Turkish giants Fenerbahce remain interested and Niang would welcome the move.

Chelsea Go For Coentrao And Will Let Ashley Leave

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti will let Ashley Cole move to Real Madrid - as he closes in on his replacement, £16m rated Portugal World Cup star Fabio Coentrao.

Cole has pestered Ancelotti for the past week about being allowed to quit Stamford Bridge and England - and now Chelsea have decided to open the exit door.

The double winners are in talks with Benfica about both Coentrao and Brazilian David Luiz.

Reports in Portugal claim they have made an offer for Luiz, who also plays centre half, but Chelsea insiders claim converted winger Coentrao is also on their wanted list.

Chelsea have landed Brazilian midfielder Ramires from Benfica and may yet take two more team-mates - especially if Ricardo Carvalho also gets his wish to go to Real.

Coentrao stood out in the finals in South Africa, and is emerging as the best possible replacement for want-away Cole.

And as Jose Mourinho waits for England number three Cole, poised to offer £25 million, Chelsea have made the first moves to fill the gaps.

Coentrao, 22, has been a revelation at full back since Benfica pushed him into the new role and Carlos Queiroz picked him for Portugal where he has excelled in his eight appearances.

Luiz can play centre half and tried the left back role but without much success.

However his versatility and age make him an asset.

Chelsea are confident that they can land Conetrao and possibly Luiz although the final fees will leave a big dent in their budget.

Selling Cole will recoup around £25 million. He has been chased by Mourinho since he landed his dream job at Madrid.

Chelsea tried to convince him to stay - but are now looking for the right man to fill his boots.

Jose Mourinho To Use Real Madrid Striker Karim Benzema As Bait To Get Chelsea Left-Back Ashley Cole

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho could offer Karim Benzema to Chelsea as part of the package to acquire Ashley Cole.

With the Blues missing out on Liverpool star Fernando Torres, Chelsea could be keen to improve their strike force, and Real are prepared to offer the France international and cash for Cole, according to the Daily Mail.

The England international is looking to reunite with former Blues boss Mourinho, and the Portuguese is desperate to strengthen the left-back position with one of the finest in the world.

But Mourinho may struggle to prise Cole from Stamford Bridge, with Ancelotti saying earlier this week that the 29-year-old would not be leaving under any circumstances.

Benzema move to Real from Lyon for £36 million last year, choosing to move to Spain instead of Manchester United, who were also interested in a move for the Frenchman.

Despite the big move to the La Liga giants, Benzema struggled in his first season with his new club, scoring only eight goals under former manager Manuel Pellegrini.

His poor season led to Raymond Domenech leaving him out of the France team that endured a disastrous World Cup campaign this summer, and the 22-year-old is keen to bounce back this season.

Swansea Keen On Chelsea Winger Scott Sinclair

Swansea City are keen to bring Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair to the club, chairman Huw Jenkins has confirmed.

Newly appointed Swans boss Brendan Rodgers worked with Sinclair during his time at Chelsea and it is hoped this could help sway the 21-year-old’s decision.

Although displaying enough potential to persuade Chelsea to sign him as a 16-year-old, Sinclair has failed to establish himself at Stamford Bridge and has been linked with a move away this summer, with Swansea keen to move in.

"We have spoken to Chelsea about Scott," Jenkins confirmed in the South Wales Evening Post.

"Brendan obviously knows him pretty well from his time at Chelsea and we hope that could play a part in Scott's decision.

"The next step is to try to make contact with the player. If something was to happen, though, we're not sure whether it would take a few days or a few weeks."

Jenkins also commented on the status of right-back Angel Rangel, who was subject to a bid from Blackpool recently.

"I've not spoken to anyone at Blackpool since we turned down their offer. I'm not sure if they will phone us again regarding Angel, but he is a player we are not looking to sell.

Ramires Thanks Gilberto Silva & Julio Baptista For Advising Him To Make Move To Chelsea

Ramires credited former Arsenal players Gilberto Silva and Julio Baptista for helping him make the decision to join Chelsea this summer.

The Brazil World Cup star is on the verge of completing a £18.3 million move from Benfica, who he helped win the Portuguese Liga title last season.

The 23-year-old had trouble deciding whether to join the defending Premier League champions, but international team-mates Silva and Baptista convinced him that a move to England was the right move to make.

“Gilberto, Julio Baptista and others gave me confidence by insisting I must accept this chance,” Ramires told The Sun.

"In the end the Chelsea proposition was impossible to reject - not just because of the money but the chance to spend every day at one of the best clubs in the world.

"As a boy in Brazil I watched the Premier League and I remember how Chelsea and Manchester United played such attractive football.

"This summer has been a dream - the Portuguese title with Benfica, the call of Brazil, the World Cup and now the jump into the Premier League."

Lampard Leading The Way

Frank Lampard has set his number one priority as defending our Barclays Premier League crown, but acknowledges there is still work to be done before the season starts.

The England midfielder was one of 11 Chelsea players at the World Cup over the summer, and only returned to pre-season duty last week, quickly taking in two games as we ended our pre-season preparations with narrow defeats in Frankfurt and Hamburg.

Now, with competitive football just two days away when we face Manchester United, Lampard admits there is still progress to be made on the training ground, but he aims to be fully operational by the time West Brom visit Stamford Bridge for the first day of the league season next Saturday.

'Obviously we're not going to be quite there yet, but that's what it is this pre-season. I think a lot of clubs are having the same problem, trying to get players who played in the World Cup fit as quick as possible,' said the 32-year-old.

'My main concern is to be fit for the first game of the season. We haven't had the best results but it's normal because a lot of big players for us have came back late, the important thing is what happens when the business starts on Sunday and next week.'
Lampard has found returning to Chelsea after England's disappointing World Cup a pleasure as he reflects on winning the Double last season, and is determined to repeat our success this time around.

'It's almost a breath of fresh air to come back to Chelsea, we won the Double last year and there's no negative mental effect from that at all. It's exciting to be back,' he smiled. 'The rest [after World Cup elimination] was about a month, and I was ready to be back by the time it came around.'

One player who has a full pre-season under his belt is Michael Essien, and from his performances it seems as though the Ghanaian is reaping the rewards.

'He's like a new signing, he has had two years where he has hardly played because he has had terrible injuries,' Lampard acknowledged. 'He's been a huge loss, you can never underestimate what a player like Michael Essien can do in your squad.

'He's one of the best players around in any position he plays in, I think we need that because we've lost a few players.'

Carlo Ancelotti's presence for a second year is also cause to smile, believes the man who now enters his 10th season as a Chelsea player.

'It's very nice, he obviously fitted in very quickly last year and the players respect it. Everyone understands he's a very good man and the way he works looks very decent from the outside, and he was obviously brilliant for us.

'It's nice to carry on building with that and we all hope we can reach the heights of last season again. It probably won't be - we probably won't score as many goals but if we can go and win the league, I don't really care how we win it. Every year the challenge gets harder,'[but] I'd like to defend the league first and foremost, that's my priority.'

Carlo Ancelotti: We Aren't Ready For The New Premier League Season

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has confessed that his team is not fit for the start of the Premier League campaign.

The defending champions lost their third straight pre-season match, losing to Hamburg 2-1 on Wednesday.

Ancelotti admits that his returning World Cup stars are fighting to be fully prepared to face West Bromwich Albion in their August 14 Premier League opener.

"Some players are in good condition but others need more time,” Ancelotti told The Sun.

"The 10 players that only came back to us on July 26 need to have another two weeks of work.

"After just eight days of training it is impossible to be fit.

"We are all disappointed because we have lost three games consecutively so it's not a good start for us.

"Now we have to hope we can come back with a win against Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday."

Goals from Mladen Petric and Heung-Min Son in the second half, led the Bundesliga side past the Blues, who lost the previous two pre-season games to Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt as well.

Michael Essien helped Chelsea take the lead, stealing the ball from Jonathan Pitripa and feeding Frank Lampard, who was left with a simple tap-in to make the score 1-0 for the Blues.

However, Petric took advantage of a terrible backpass from Yuri Zhirkov to score the equalizer, and with just three minutes remaining Son rounded Ricardo Carvalho and beat goalkeeper Ross Turnbull to give the German club a 2-1 victory.

Ancelotti insists that the defence must improve if Chelsea are going to repeat as Premier League champions this season.

"In the past the defence has given out a lot of confidence - but now we are losing some concentration.

"We have made mistakes and now we have to show more character.

"But even if some of our players are not fit, they still have a good presence on the pitch.

"Maybe it's not so important that Lampard and Terry are 100 per cent fit at the start of the season because they have that presence and they will do better. They just need more time playing."

Yury Zhirkov Lined Up By Zenit St Petersburg For £21m Swoop

Zenit St Petersburg are considering a £21million bid to take Chelsea defender Yury Zhirkov back to Russia.

The 26-year-old endured a torrid first season at Stamford Bridge, struggling with injuries in both knees and making just 10 Premier League starts following an £18.6m move from CSKA Moscow.

Chelsea agreed to sign Zhirkov before Carlo Ancelotti arrived and the Russia international has struggled to fit into his manager’s plans.

He has mostly been used as Ashley Cole’s understudy, despite forging a reputation at CSKA as an attacking left winger.

Runaway Russian Premier League leaders Zenit would give Zhirkov a prominent role as they build a side for the Champions League and are also on the brink of signing Porto captain Bruno Alves for £18.2m.

Zhirkov refused to comment, saying he was only focused on being fit for the new season with Chelsea.

‘I can say that I am a Chelsea player and it’s a great honour to play for the club,’ he said.

‘The knee is not a worry. The competition in our club for places is great. But I really want to play and will do everything I can to break into the team.’

Ramires Explains Chelsea Switch

Benfica and Brazil midfielder Ramires has urged his current club's supporters to understand why he has chosen to leave Lisbon to join Chelsea.

The 23-year-old is poised to complete a big-money switch to Stamford Bridge, with a fee of around £18million having been agreed between the two clubs.

Ramires told A Bola after opting to leave the Portuguese champions: "I hope everyone understands this decision. This is football and this outcome is good for the club and for me.

"I love this club. I took Benfica into my heart. I am very happy. I will never forget how I got here, where I was a champion, where I improved and I was very happy. It was a wonderful year.

"I hope that everyone understands that it was a very good opportunity for me on a personal, sporting and financial level."