Ancelotti: Continuity Away From Home

Carlo Ancelotti may have started the season with a 6-0 win but he's still looking at areas for improvement on the last campaign.

Last season was a phenomenal year for the Blues, ending in the Double, but Ancelotti remembers early troubles away from home, beginning with a 3-1 loss last September against Wigan, our next opponents.

A 2-1 defeat at Villa Park soon followed, which is why Ancelotti is keen to avert any troubles outside of Stamford Bridge with the focused football that ended our last campaign.

'They didn't start well [against Wigan last year],' explained the Italian, 'but we have to learn to play against teams with strong motivation.

'Our aim is to show continuity away from home. Although we did very well last season, away we had some problems. We need to change the direction of this.'

Ancelotti knows just how important it is to start the season with a victory, explaining how the beginning of last year's campaign was instrumental in winning the League.

'Last season we started well and won the first six games - that was key to winning the title.

'We want the same this season and we have started very well. Now we need to look to the next game.

'It's good to think game-by-game. Every game could be difficult, so it is important to stay focused.

'These players can certainly repeat the same season [as last year] but our aim is to do better if it's possible.

'We have started better than last year, showing more confidence, and I think we can do better.'

And with side boasting the likes of Drobga, whose hat-trick proved he's ready to carry on where he left off last year, Chelsea fans world-wide will be truly excited by the start to 2010/11.

'I have been happy to work with a lot of strikers, but it is difficult to find one with the continuity of Drogba,' added Ancelotti.

'Drogba is fit, he does not have problems physically, he is professional, so he can play for a lot of years but the most important thing is the mentality, to be happy to train, to be happy to play - Didier is that kind of man.'

Chelsea Target Decides On Move Today

Chelsea target Neymar will decide today whether to complete a £24m move to the Premier League.

The Brazilian wonderkid was having talks with his family last night over his future after Chelsea made an improved offer.

Santos are holding out for the £29.6m buy-out clause in his contract and have threatened to report Chelsea to Fifa for “tapping up” the teenager.

But Neymar’s agent Wagner Ribiero said: “Neymar is meeting with his family, and they will decide what they want. Then we will have a conversation with Santos. Everything will be decided this week.”

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has strongly denied Santos’ claims, saying: “There was no tapping up from Chelsea, and I want to be clear on that.

“We are looking at several young Brazilian players, and he is one of the players we have been looking at. Whether he becomes a Chelsea player at some point, who knows?”

Bayern Munich Eye Chelsea Starlet Gael Kakuta

Bayern Munich are set to steal Chelsea youngster Gael Kakuta with the offer of a regular first team spot, according to The People.

Kakuta, 19, rose to fame last season after his transfer from Lens came under the scrutiny of FIFA.

The starlet has begun to make waves on the pitch now and was the stand out player in France's European Championship under-19s side.

This form has alerted Bayern to the attacker's talent and they are prepared to offer him a way out of the Blues' reserves.

After making just one Premier League appearance last term, Kakuta is understood to be ready to test manager Carlo Ancelotti's resolve to keep him.

Chelsea On The Verge Of Making £4.5m Offer To Stoke City For Asmir Begovic

Chelsea are believed to be readying an offer of £4.5 million for the services of Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

The shaky form shown by Petr Cech's understudies, Henrique Hilario and Ross Turnbull, was previously reported to have been the cause behind the Blues' hunt for another shot-stopper.

In the meantime, the Potters boss Tony Pulis recently admitted that there had been enquiries from west London, but insisted that the 23-year-old is not for sale.

However, the Daily Mail claims that Roman Abramovich's outfit will put Stoke's resolve to the test by proposing a £4.5m offer in exchange of the services of the former Portsmouth 'keeper.

Begovic joined his current club in the winter transfer window last season, but recent reports point towards the player making a move if he is not the first-choice shot-stopper at the Britannia Stadium.

Real Madrid Ready To Launch £10 Million Swoop For Chelsea Striker Didier Drogba

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is planning to launch an audacious bid to be reunited with Didier Drogba by offering £10 million for the Chelsea frontman.

The Portuguese tactician returned to his former club last week to complete the £6.7 million capture of Ricardo Carvalho, and now - according to The Sunday People - he hopes to take the Ivorian captain to the Bernabeu.

However, Chelsea are unlikely to discuss a potential departure for last year's top scorer in the Premier League and will rebuff any move from the Spanish giants as they did with Ashley Cole earlier this summer.

Drogba, who has won three Premier League titles and three FA Cups since joining Chelsea six years ago, forged a close bond with Mourinho during their time together at Stamford Bridge and may be interested in a switch to Spain.

Mourinho will be hoping that the chance to link up with his former boss will prove too much of an attraction for the former Marseille man, and believes a £10 million bid will be enough to sway the Chelsea hierarchy to part company with their prolific striker.

Petr Cech Plays Down Talk Of Reunion With Jose Mourinho At Real Madrid

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has quashed rumours that he is on the verge of leaving Stamford Bridge to join Real Madrid.

Cech has been linked with a move to rejoin old boss Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu as well as teaming up with Ricardo Carvalho who has already made the move.

Mourinho signed Portuguese defender Carvalho for £6.7 million having convinced him to come to Spain and the Real Madrid coach is rumoured to be attempting to persuade Chelsea’s number one to do the same.

However Cech has rejected claims that he has been in contact with Mourinho and also questioned whether Real need a goalkeeper to replace World Cup winner Iker Casillas.

"There are more of us here who were with Chelsea while [Jose] Mourinho was in charge. So the media could speculate about many players. You should never say never, but we have not spoken with Jose [Mourinho].” Cech told Pravo.

"If you take a look at Real's [Madrid] squad, you see that the goalkeeper's position is the only place where they have not had any reason to change anything."

Meanwhile Chelsea has been quiet in this summers transfer window with Yossi Benayoun and Ramires the two notable signings.

Midfielders Joe Cole and Michael Ballack have also left the club but Cech is confident that more new faces could arrive before the end of the transfer window.

"It is normal that in such a big club like Chelsea someone comes in and someone leaves," argued the former Rennes keeper.

"There may be some more activity yet because the transfer window is still open. Still someone might arrive."

Chelsea PR Plan To Keep Real Madrid Target Ashley Cole At Stamford Bridge

Booed by England fans at Wembley and jeered by West Bromwich Albion supporters on his own patch, Ashley Cole's low opinion of England and it's people is unlikely to have changed during the past week.

This season promises to be Ashley Cole's most challenging to date, not that he already hasn't had a few.

Cole is certainly no stranger to the role of pantomime villain, he has been type cast ever since his defection from Arsenal to Chelsea, right through the public playing-out of his marriage break-up and up to his part in England's failure in South Africa.
Little wonder the chance of a reunion with Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu holds plenty of appeal.

Despite Carlo Ancelotti's insistence that Cole is going nowhere, Mourinho has not given up hope of bringing the 29-year-old full-back to Real Madrid.

Chelsea are certainly willing to pull out the stops to ensure Cole will not be banging on his manager's door in the next fortnight demanding a move to the Spanish capital.

The plan, as Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck explained, is to help restore Cole's battered public image with a little profile lowering.

Buck said: 'I think Ashley is fine. He is great around the club, is polite and helpful. We're not involved in his private life but we support him to a certain extent if we can.

'You would be unhappy too if you got the treatment he is getting by the media. He doesn't like that but I don't think it will be any different if he was in Spain or Italy.

'He has just got to work a little bit, with our help, on improving his image. He is a great player and everyone loves to watch him play and we just look forward like that. We do [rally around him] at executive level, as do the other players and management. We will do the best we can.'

Quite how Chelsea intends to perform this radical image makeover remains to be seen. It will be certainly easier said than done with a player who was pictured with a bevy of scantily beauties on his recent holiday in Los Angeles and who headed straight to paparazzi infested haunt, China White, immediately upon returning from Chelsea's pre-season trip to Germany.

Persuading Cole that it might wise to opt for a quiet night in rather than a night at the latest West End celebrity haunt will, therefore, be no mean feat. But if Chelsea is to engineer a seismic shift in public opinion then their only hope is to ensure the column inches Cole occupies are at the back of newspapers rather than the front.

Ensuring Cole is not the player opposition fans love to hate will be a long drawn out affair and will require the full cooperation of the player himself. It may just transpire that Cole decides the easiest way to shed his bad-boy image is to up sticks to a country where he can leave the baggage in the departure lounge.

Until then expect the boo boys to be in good voice at every ground up and down the country, starting at Wigan's DW stadium this Saturday.

Asian Stars Back At The Academy

Winners of this year's Asian Soccer Star contest were at Cobham last week as they underwent their trials with the Chelsea Academy.

The three-day trials were incorporated into the Academy's Summer Camps, which act as a pre-season for the youngsters signed on in our younger age groups.

While none of the boys attending did quite enough to be signed on, it was good news for Under 9 winner Adam Aziz who has been invited back to be a part of our elite training centre program, where he can be closely monitored by Chelsea staff.

Kelan Patel, trialling with our Under 11s, told Chelsea TV how much he had enjoyed the experience.

'We had lots of tests, and it's fun but really hard sometimes, but the coach is really nice and helpful,' said the young midfielder. 'I learned there are better players out there. In my Sunday league there are good players but not as good. I thought this would be easier but there are loads of really good players.'

Chelsea's Academy project manager Darren Grace oversaw the trials, and was impressed by the lads.

'All of them have done okay, they trained on Tuesday, Wednesday was a games day so we had a series of games they took part in, and on Thursday it was another day of training, with lots of practices and drills they won't have been used to,' he explained. 'From what I have seen they have coped well and certainly haven't looked out of place.

'The standard here is extremely high, and it is getting tougher and tougher. The good thing about the Academy here at the minute is that the scouts are doing a fantastic job bringing in players from different backgrounds and cultures and the Search for an Asian Soccer Star is another scouting tool. All the lads were told we'd monitor them and that they should try and play at the highest level they can and to keep working hard. They all coped well and did themselves and their families proud!'

For 2010, we opened the contest up to six age groups, adding Under 8s, 9s and 10s to the Under 11s, 12s and 13s competition that took place in 2009. This, Grace explained, was to help us nurture potential players from an earlier age.

'We've had more age groups this year, we started younger because we felt if we could find them at a younger age we have more time to help them develop and grow an affinity with Chelsea Football Club and the way we do things,' he said. 'Then, if any of them are ultimately good enough to join the Academy it is better that they come in as early as possible.'

Match Report: Chelsea 6 - 0 West Brom

Double winners Chelsea fired an early warning to their Barclays Premier League title rivals as Didier Drogba smashed a hat-trick in their opening-day thrashing of new boys West Brom at Stamford Bridge.

Florent Malouda set the Blues on their way after only six minutes, with Drogba's free-kick extending the lead on the stroke of half-time.

It was more one-way traffic after the restart, as the Ivory Coast striker netted from close range with Frank Lampard making it 4-0 just after the hour.

Drogba's deflected effort and a last-minute strike from Malouda sealed an emphatic win for the champions, who put last week's 3-1 defeat by Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley firmly behind them.

Despite being outplayed, West Brom and their manager Roberto Di Matteo, the former Chelsea midfielder, deserve credit for continuing to display some good passing football, but which tellingly lacked a cutting edge in the final third.

Chelsea had got off to a flying start when they took the lead after only six minutes.

Malouda was tripped by Pablo Ibanez on the edge of the West Brom box.

Keeper Scott Carson spilled Drogba's free-kick straight to John Obi Mikel, whose follow-up effort was blocked. The ball then dropped straight to Malouda, who could not miss.

The champions were in full flow, with Ashley Cole whipping a low ball across the six-yard box after another surge down the left.

However, the conditions worsened, and fit again Chelsea keeper Petr Cech had to be at full stretch to touch away Graham Dorrans' deflected effort.

The visitors, who finished second behind Newcastle in the Championship last season, continued to try to take the game to Chelsea, putting together some promising passing moves.

Czech striker Roman Bednar smashed a fine finish into the roof of the Chelsea net on 18 minutes, but the offside flag had already gone up for what looked a marginal decision.

Cole then drew some predictable jeers from the travelling fans when he went to take a throw-in - but the boo-boys were soon drowned up by the home faithful showing the England defender their full support.

After a drop in tempo, Chelsea slowly started to find their rhythm again.

Gabriel Tamas fouled Drogba, giving Chelsea another chance to deliver a ball into the West Brom box.

Lampard struck his 20-yard shot well and Carson parried, but this time Malouda could not keep his follow-up on target as he sent a looping header over.

It was, though, 2-0 just before the break.

Youssouf Mulumbu tripped Michael Essien and this time Drogba smashed his free-kick through the wall and into the bottom corner.

The conditions improved for the second half, allowing both teams to pass the ball quickly.

On 53 minutes, Scotland midfielder Dorrans chipped a free-kick over the wall, but the ball dropped onto the top of the net.

Chelsea then moved 3-0 ahead when Drogba bundled in his second.

John Terry flicked Malouda's inswinging corner goalwards and Mulumbu hacked it off the line, but the ball was not cleared and Drogba, who won the Golden Boot with 29 goals last season, was alert to smash it in from close range.

Lampard walked in a fourth on 63 minutes after a clever exchange between Nicolas Anelka and Cole down the left.

The England midfielder, who had been carrying a slight ankle problem, was then replaced by Yossi Benayoun, as the Israeli made is debut following a summer move from Liverpool - who were described as a "small club somewhere north of the M25" by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck in his program notes, hitting back at comments by Joe Cole following his free transfer summer move to Anfield.

On 68 minutes, Drogba completed his hat-trick with a 20-yard effort which cannoned off Tamas and flew into the bottom corner past a wrong-footed Carson.

The Ivory Coast striker was then given a well-deserved break when he was replaced by countryman Salomon Kalou.

Malouda whipped a 20-yard free-kick over the wall and bar, while Alex flicked a rising shot from Chris Brunt over the bar to deny the visitors a late consolation.

Neymar Denies Chelsea Deal

Santos striker Neymar has dismissed claims he has already signed a contract with Chelsea after Carlo Ancelotti hailed the teenager as a 'fantastic player'.

Neymar, who scored on his Brazil debut against the United States in midweek, has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge before the close of the transfer window.

Chelsea have seen an offer rejected by Santos and the Brazilian club's president has threatened to report the Premier League champions to Fifa regarding their pursuit of the 18-year-old.

There have been claims that Neymar has agreed personal terms with the Blues, but the promising forward is adamant that is not the case.

"I'm very happy to be remembered by a great team, but Santos is my place at the moment," Neymar told reporters.

"I want to stay at Santos, win more titles here and, who knows, leave in the future.

"That whole story that people are saying about Chelsea did not reach me until now. I don't know anything about it."

Blues boss Ancelotti is unaware of Santos' threat to report the club to Fifa, but acknowledged his admiration for Neymar.

Ancelotti said: "I know nothing about this. He is a fantastic player, but he is not a Chelsea player now and it's difficult for me to speak about this.

"What happened after, I am not interested. I can only speak about his technical quality.

"We are interested in all the young players that come through all over the world. Neymar is one of these, but this doesn't mean we have to buy this player."

Chelsea Ready To Dig Deep To Bring Benzema To Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are rumoured to be ready to make a significant bid to bring Real Madrid misfit Karim Benzema to Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti is looking to bring in more youthful attacking options as he sees the likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka entering the latter stages of their illustrious careers.

The Blues boss was apparently greatly displeased with his sides showing in the Community Shield encounter with Manchester United and as a result is looking to spend big to help beef up his squad ahead of the new season. Jose Mourinho may well be looking at offloading the French international and there were rumours that a deal to bring Ashley Cole to the Bernabeu could have been tied into such an approach but Ancelotti has no desire to sell the full back so will instead try to get the former Lyon man in a straight cash deal.

The young forward hasn’t had the best of times at the La Liga giants and only managed 18 starts in all competitions last term and spend long spells on the bench. There is no sign that the new Real boss will be looking to push him back up the pecking order so if a big enough bid came in then it would surely be considered.

The 22 year old missed out on French World Cup squad due to his lack of first team action and is currently embroiled in a sex scandal that has rocked his home country. He may well therefore be keen on a fresh start and a new challenge.

Real Madrid will be looking to recoup as much of the £34m outlay they spent last summer and Roman Abramovich is apparently more than happy to fund new additions and the west London side haven’t really spent big at all so far this summer, having only spent money on Yossi Benayoun, so clearly funds won’t be an issue.

Wigan To Poach Chelsea Youngster

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is set to sign Argentinian striker Franco Di Santo from Chelsea on a season-long deal.

Martinez has made an official approach for Di Santo as Jason Scotland’s replacement and the forward’s agent flew in from South America to open talks yesterday.

Di Santo had a loan spell at Blackburn last season that started promisingly but faded away when he was left out of Sam Allardyce’s side.

Chelsea wanted to sell Di Santo but there have been no takers.

Bolton backed off because they could not get a straight answer while Feyenoord and Twente Enschede cooled their interest.

Martinez wants to pair Di Santo with countryman Mauro Boselli and use his intelligent front-running.

Where Will Ramires Slot In Alongside Chelsea's Existing Midfield Options?

As erstwhile police detective Lester Freamon advises throughout the critically acclaimed American television series The Wire, "All the pieces matter". And in £16 million Brazilian Ramires, it seems Carlo Ancelotti has found another one he believes will play a significant role in helping his Chelsea squad try to retain their Premier League crown.

If some pundits thought the Blues' rush to the title last season showed their squad to be in rude health, then Ancelotti seemingly didn't agree — at least in midfield. The club has operated ruthlessly and efficiently to remodel their midfield ranks this summer — releasing seasoned campaigners Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti, while Deco has joined Fluminense, with Ancelotti showing little remorse before introducing the subtley different skillset of Yossi Benayoun and now the 23-year-old Brazilian in replacement.

The question, then, is how these pieces — both new and old — will be utilized next season. With Ancelotti likely to stick predominantly to the 4-3-3 formation that worked so well in the latter stages of last season(with one holding midfielder sitting behind two box-to-box central operators, themselves deeper than the two wingers working behind Drogba), he now has plenty of ways of filling that mould.

A return to the diamond formation the former AC Milan manager has long put his faith in is not impossible, despite memories of its failings when used to start last season — if only to cause opponents some tactical uncertainty. That system, in midfield at least, is not markedly different from the 4-3-3 but does require an adept playmaker to slot in adeptly at the tip to work effectively (something that couldn't be done last year).

Chelsea Players Are At War With Abramovic

Chelsea stars kick off the new season on Saturday at war with owner Roman Abramovich.

The billionaire Russian has infuriated his Double winners by scrapping and slashing the squad's bonuses.

A Chelsea insider said: "The players are furious and there is a huge row going on behind the scenes.

"They're champions and are rewarded with a pay cut - it's hardly a great way to motivate them.

"It was a big shock and they're not happy. Now they're going into the season under a cloud."

Stunned Blues players - who face West Brom in Saturday's Premier League opener - were given the news at a meeting with director Eugene Tenebaum and chief executive Ron Gourlay.

They were told Rom has done away with all appearance bonuses and cash tied to performances and results.

The only bonuses this term will be for WINNING the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup or Carling Cup. And they will get nowhere near previous season's figures.

Our insider added: "They thought it was it was just a normal pre-season meeting.

"But instead they were told it was all change and most of the bonuses they'd enjoyed had been scrapped or reduced."

Malouda: A Taste For Success

Florent Malouda has not been back to Stamford Bridge since lifting the Premier League trophy on May 9. Two months on he is desperate for another go, but knows we face a long battle to retain our crown.

The winger sparkled and shone for much of last season, rightly earning the Player's Player of the Year award as he helped us to the Double and a record number of goals scored in one season.

Now the time has come to stop reflecting on those successes and ensure that by May 2011, we are in celebratory mood once more.

'Even if the trophy is heavy it is a real pleasure to have it and it was a very hard season for us last year, we had a struggle to get it, but that's the way it is, it doesn't come easy but once you get it you realize you did a great thing. Now we want it again,' said the Frenchman, before admitting we begin the campaign in less than ideal shape after a tricky pre-season period.

'It has been a tough pre-season. I think when you come back from a big event like the World Cup you must quickly switch on in your mind,' he explained. 'It has been a short pre-season, we didn't have good results but that's normal, because there were too many differences.

'Some players were back on July 5, others had longer holidays because we know the season will be long, so the most important thing is at the beginning of the season when maybe we are not 100 percent as a team to work on the confidence, work hard, defend well and then be really efficient in front of goal, that's how to prepare the next good moments.

'Winning is a habit but you have to prepare yourself to win, the season is very long, especially the Premier League. It is a good taste when you are winning and celebrating on the pitch but you must never forget the basics, so for me, the most important thing is to start right, get back to the basics, get the confidence back and you can keep on winning.'

We currently have three straight league wins and many will be expecting us to add to that in grand fashion against newly-promoted West Brom at the Bridge on Saturday afternoon, given the goalscoring form in which we ended the last campaign.

Does Malouda believe we can be quite so prolific once more in 2010/11, or was our record 142 goals last term, 103 of them in the Premier League, a one-off?

'We shouldn't forget that achievement, it was a record, and because we are competitors we must have the aim to beat our own record,' argues the 30-year-old. '. It won't be easy but I think we have the quality and the strength to score even more goals. That will be the best way to keep the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.'

Ancelotti - Title Will Be Harder To Win

Chelsea's players begin their Barclays Premier League title defence on Saturday with a stark warning from manager Carlo Ancelotti that they will have to work much harder than last year if they are to hold on to their crown.

Chelsea welcome Roberto Di Matteo's West Brom to Stamford Bridge in Saturday’s late game as they look to build on the league and cup double which the Italian achieved in his first season at the helm.

This year's title race looks set to be one of the most open in years. Tottenham will be brimming with confidence after they broke the monopoly of the 'big four' by finishing fourth last season while Arsenal and Liverpool have both made good acquisitions this summer.

Manchester United easily beat the Blues in the Community Shield last week while their neighbours City look strong after their summer spending spree to which Mario Balotelli was added last night.

"It will be more difficult to win the title this year," said Ancelotti.

"It is not enough to be like last year; we will need to work harder.

"Manchester United will be our biggest rivals.

"They have quality, tradition and history but I know that we have to pay attention to the other teams.

"Arsenal bought a fantastic striker in (Marouane) Chamakh, Liverpool has a new manager, they could be a strong opponent, and we have to look at Manchester City because they bought a lot of good players and they have to build a team. They could be involved in the title race."

The Blues' bid was boosted by the signing last night of Brazil midfielder Ramires from Benfica.

The 23-year-old has joined on a four-year contract having received a work permit and passed a medical.

The Blues are thought to have paid £18.2million for the energetic and versatile midfielder.

Ancelotti has predicted a bright future for the 23-year-old, who represented his country at the World Cup.

"He is a fantastic player," Ancelotti said.

"He will be the future of the Brazil national team and I hope he will be the future of Chelsea.

"He won't have any problems adapting to the English game because he is not Brazilian 100%. Because usually a Brazilian doesn't like to run, he likes to play football. He is a runner."

Ancelotti was hit by the departure of defender Ricardo Carvalho to Real Madrid this week. The Portuguese, who played a key role in Chelsea's title win last year, had come to an agreement with the club a year ago to let him move on this summer, much to his former manager's dismay.

"Everyone was disappointed Carvalho left because Carvalho did very well for six years at the club," said Ancelotti.

"His desire was to leave this club to try new emotion, new experience."

Carvalho's departure does not mean that Ancelotti will be making a move to sign a replacement, though, effectively quashing any rumours linking the club with Benfica centre half David Luiz.

Ancelotti said: "As a centre-back, we have (John) Terry, (Branislav) Ivanovic, Alex and (Jeffrey) Bruma. We are okay. We do not need anyone else."

Chelsea Get First Refusal On Fluminense Stars As Part Of Deco Deal

Chelsea have been given first refusal of Fluminense’s youth players as a condition of Deco’s transfer to the Brazilian club.

The Portuguese midfielder was released with a year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge and subsequently signed a two-year deal with Fluminense in August.

According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea’s scouts have been invited to Fluminense's academy in Rio de Janeiro to asses their promising youngsters.

Notable graduates of Fluminense's youth system include Manchester United’s Rafael and Fabio da Silva, who were picked up by Sir Alex Ferguson’s side when they were 15.

Brazil Under-17 forward Wellington Silva is another product of their academy and he will join Arsenal in January when he turns 18.

Match Preview: Chelsea vs. West Brom

Chelsea begins the defence of their Premier League title with a home game against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday evening.

The Blues won an historic league and FA Cup Double last season, but go into the new campaign short on momentum after a disappointing pre-season campaign – where they won just once – was capped off by defeat to Manchester United in the Community Shield.

Defeats to Ajax, Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt before their loss to the Red Devils at Wembley caused concerns for manager Carlo Ancelotti, who has also had fitness worries over a number of his key players in recent weeks.

There are likely to be new faces at Stamford Bridge – the likes of Ramires and Neymar are being heavily linked to the Blues – before the end of August, but it is the current crop that needs to get the season off to a winning start.

And despite their problems before the big kick-off, few will be betting against a Chelsea victory on home soil as the serious business gets under way.

The Blues, who scored over 100 league goals in 2009/10, have won their last 10 matches against Saturday’s opponents and it will be a major upset if that sequence is not extended to 11.

West Brom have certainly been the 'yo-yo' club of the 21st century so far, being promoted four times from the Championship and relegated back to the second tier on three occasions.

That means they are now starting a new season in a different division for the eighth time in ten campaigns.

The Baggies did buck the trend and dramatically stay in the top-flight on the final day of the 2004-05 season, but the odds are against them repeating that feat this time around - the bookies rate them as the second most likely side to go down, behind only Blackpool.

Boss Roberto Di Matteo has signed Boaz Myhill, Nicky Shorey, Pablo Ibanez and Steven Reid over the summer, as well as securing Gabriel Tamas on a permanent deal ahead of what is set to be a long struggle against the drop.

Games against the likes of Chelsea will not be the ones which decide the Baggies’ fate, though, so anything they do pick up will be considered a bonus and this may be a good time to play the champions with their worries over form and fitness.

In all likelihood, though, Di Matteo will already have one eye on next week’s home game against Sunderland as his search for around 40 Premier League points begins.

FORM GUIDE

Chelsea 1-3 Manchester United
Hamburg 2-1 Chelsea
Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Chelsea
Ajax 3-1 Chelsea
Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea

West Brom 1-1 Osasuna
Coventry City 1-1 West Brom
Doncaster Rovers 1-0 West Brom
Bristol Rovers 0-1 West Brom
VVV Venlo 1-2 West Brom

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

Chelsea are hoping that goalkeeper Petr Cech will be fit enough to return in time for the game, after problems with a calf injury meant Henrique Hilario and Ross Turnbull stood in for him throughout pre-season.

Didier Drogba should be fit enough to play a full part in proceedings after being restricted to a substitute appearance in the Community Shield, although Alex is out with a thigh problem and Ricardo Carvalho has joined Real Madrid.

That means Branislav Ivanovic is set to continue in the centre of defence alongside John Terry, with Paulo Ferreira at right-back.

Possible Starting XI: Cech; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Mikel, Essien, Lampard; Anelka, Drogba, Malouda.

West Brom

West Brom’s main injury concern comes in the form of key player Graham Dorrans, who had to pull out of Scotland’s midweek friendly against Sweden with a groin strain.

He will be assessed in the run up to kick-off, as will new signing Pablo Ibanez, who looks likely to recover from a minor problem that forced him to withdraw from last week’s friendly with Osasuna after the warm-up.

Possible Starting XI: Carson, Jara, Tamas, Ibanez, Shorey; Mulumbu, Brunt; Morrison, Dorrans, Thomas; Bednar.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea

Didier Drogba scored 37 goals in a sensational 2009-10 season as he helped Chelsea to the Double - a return which saw him finish 11th in the Goal.com 50.

After his World Cup and pre-season campaign were disrupted by injury, though, the Ivorian will be desperate to make up for lost time and get off to a goalscoring start.

A home game against newly promoted opposition gives him the perfect chance to do just that.

West Brom

Scott Carson has a big season ahead of him as he aims to get back into the England set-up after David James was dropped and Paul Robinson retired from the international scene.

The Baggies shot stopper is likely to be busy on Saturday and will need to be on top of his game if the visitors are to pick up anything from their trip to west London.

Kalou: This Season Could Be Last Opportunity For Chelsea’s Ageing Squad To Win Champions League

Saloman Kalou believes that the forthcoming season could be this Chelsea squad’s last chance of winning the Champions League.

Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, John Terry and Ashley Cole will all be in their 30s when the season draws to a close, but Kalou thinks they can all put disappointing World Cup campaigns behind them to inspire their club this season.

"That's the reason why we should win, we should go for every challenge," the 25-year-old Ivory Coast international told the Guardian.

"And I think this season will be a great season for Chelsea because this may be the last opportunity for us to win the Champions League or to win more prizes together. Everyone is concerned by that and we have a decent goal and this team is willing to do their best to achieve all those trophies.

“We have good professionals in the team, good experience and people are hungry to win because, at the World Cup, it was not so good for everyone at Chelsea. They have that hunger to win games because we know that the World Cup was a disappointment for everyone."

Kalou feels the team will also benefit from the return of midfielder Michael Essien, who played in the community shield against Manchester United.

"We know how important he is for the team, how important he can be to the whole season, because having him in the team is a bonus," Kalou said.

He also dismissed Chelsea’s poor pre season, blaming the World Cup for disrupting the club’s preparations.

"Some players came in at different moments [from the World Cup], and some players didn't train for one week, so they need time to be fit. It can be a problem but we have the players and the experience of these kind of competitions. I think they will be ready for Saturday, I have no doubt of that."

Chelsea Complete Ramires Signing After Successful Tribunal Appeal

Chelsea have been given the go-ahead to complete the £18.2m transfer of the Brazil midfielder Ramires from Benfica after the player was granted a work permit at a tribunal today.

The clearance came this afternoon after the Chelsea assistant manager, Ray Wilkins, and the club secretary, Dave Barnard, attended a hearing in London and argued their case for Ramires to receive a permit under the special circumstances clause, given that he has not played the required 75% of games for Brazil over the past two years.

The panel sanctioned the signing of the 23-year-old widely recognized as one of the most sought-after young talents in the game. The Brazilian is expected to arrive in London on Saturday to complete the paperwork, although he is unlikely to be considered for the visit of West Bromwich Albion to Stamford Bridge.