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 Injuries and the draining effects of momentous international matches - just two of the reasons why a squad with quality in depth is essential for a push for major honours. The draw has been made for the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast and Ghana in the same group. That's it - the end of internationals for 2009. It's heads down for an assault on four club competitions. Chelsea to win by three goals or more, with your stake back if they win by two are 1.97.
Join Jason Cundy and Kerry Dixon tonight as they dissect the week's big stories while also looking forward to the Wolves game. Reserve team goalkeeper Rhys Taylor has joined Queens Park Rangers in a temporary move until January. Petr Cech is feeling fresh and revitalised after resting during the international break over the past two weeks. Stamford Bridge will once again be showing live Barclays Premier League action prior to kick-off this weekend. Chelseafc.com is offering fans the facility to watch today's pre-match press conference live on your PC. Anyone heading to Stamford Bridge for our Barclays Premier League clash with Wolves tomorrow may appreciate the following information. Dennis Wise is a Chelsea legend, one who will be attending the annual CPO Lunch next Friday, so we thought it a perfect time to catch up with our former captain. Straight off the back of a defeat to Arsenal, Chelsea Ladies smashed the opposition in an eight-goal thriller at the weekend. There are now only a few spaces left at the fundraising event Didier Drogba will be hosting on Saturday in London. It was five in and one out among the Chelsea stars who played in Wednesday night's World Cup play-offs. In his column this week, season ticket holder Giles Smith sinks his teeth into the subject of stadium naming, and chocolate bars. For Carlo Ancelotti, today (Wednesday) marks the last day of training with a very reduced group of players until March. For Chelsea's France, Portugal and Russia internationals, today (Wednesday) is the day their World Cup fates will be decided. Chelsea's education partner is creating businesses of the future. Daniel Sturridge, Michael Mancienne and Ryan Bertrand all played in England Under 21s' draw away to Lithuania in a European Championship qualifier. In last week's column, Pat Nevin wrote about his and others' experiences on the recent Champions League away trip. This week the discussion continues. James Richardson, the UK's leading reporter on Italian football who visited Cobham to interview Carlo Ancelotti, considers moves between Italy and England. The club's official website has launched a new Chelsea toolbar which can be downloaded into your browser. If you've not taken the opportunity to ask Carlo Ancelotti a question in Chelsea magazine yet, now is the time to think of what you would like to ask the Blues manager. James Richardson, the man who brought Italian football into UK homes, was reacquainted with Carlo Ancelotti when he came to interview the manager recently. It was a busy weekend for Michael Essien as he ended a qualification campaign and launched a Foundation, with a message of support from Roman Abramovich. Michael Ballack will miss Germany's clash with Ivory Coast on Wednesday due to a slight infection in his knee. Calling all young Blues - we need you to help design our official 2009 Chrismas card! Chelsea Stadium Tours and Museum have won bronze in the Sports Tourism prize at the 2009 Visit London Award ceremony. Nicolas Anelka's goal placed France in a healthy position to make the World Cup Finals after Saturday's play-off first leg. After a big turnaround at the top of their qualification group, Nigeria, with John Mikel Obi in their side, will contest the World Cup in South Africa next summer. A disappointing Under 18s' display resulted in a first defeat in four games, made worse by a red card for Billy Knott. Jeffrey Bruma continued the impeccable start to his Under 21 international career. Petr Cech took part in a football club first today by answering questions from our Facebook Fan Page in a live video stream. Petr Cech visited his good friend and former team-mate Carlo Cudicini in hospital yesterday (Thursday). It has been confirmed that Frank Lampard suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh while away with the England national team. When the international players are away, it's a chance for Statman to come out and play. Jason Cundy hosts this week's Friday Night Live alongside sports journalist Gabriele Marcotti and there's plenty to discuss. England manager Fabio Capello has eased concerns over the fitness of John Terry ahead of Saturday's international friendly. Chelsea have been drawn away to Charlton Athletic or Woking in the third round of the FA Youth Cup. Petr Cech will be answering fans' questions in a direct video stream to your PC today (Friday) only on chelseafc.com. Reserve team right-back Nana Ofori-Twumasi has today (Friday) joined Dagenham and Redbridge on a one-month loan. Chelsea's innovative goalkeeping coach has been sharing the methods behind his madness, while congratulating Hilario on his first international call-up... Chelsea Football Club sends our best wishes for a full and speedy recovery to Carlo Cudicini who has been involved in a road accident today (Thursday). Frank Lampard will not take part in England's friendly international against Brazil in Qatar this weekend. Of the Chelsea players yet to have their World Cup qualification fate decided, John Mikel Obi looks to have the hardest task. With the international fixture calendar robbing us of first team football, attention turns to the reserves and Academy, where plenty has been going on. Chelsea has established a liftshare scheme for fans, designed to reduce travel costs as well as congestion and pollution. It was the first of the 'top three' clashes this year on Sunday and Chelsea Ladies produced a surprise start to the fixture. There have been further announcements made regarding our Barclays Premier League game against Arsenal on Sunday 29 November. This week's official club podcast Inside Chelsea looks back over a massive game for the Blues. There are still a few places left for Thomas Cook's travel packages to Porto for the Champions League match. Petr Cech will be answering fans' questions in a direct video stream to your PC this Friday, only on Chelseafc.com. Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Jose Bosingwa underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this week. Etihad Airways, the Official International Airline Partner of Chelsea Football Club, has taken the top award at this year's World Travel Awards (WTA).
With Sunday's match still fresh in the mind, Matthew Harding season ticket holder Giles Smith adds his voice to those who've had their (highly unbalanced) say. Dennis Wise will join the 50-strong squad of past players at this year's Chelsea Pitch Owners' Lunch, for which there are still a few tickets left. Following hot no the footsteps of Michael Essien, Didier Drogba will be hosting his own charity dinner later this month, this time in London. It promises to be an interesting week of international action for Chelsea's players, with a number of World Cup qualifying issues to be resolved. Well-travelled in his time, columnist and former Blues star Pat Nevin has had smoother passages than his one from Madrid last week. Chelsea fans kept him sane. Deco and Hilario feature heavily in this month's Chelsea magazine, out today. Both have been learning plenty about themselves. Michael Essien will launch his own charity this week, and has been explaining what he is trying to do in his latest exclusive blog. John Terry believes being out in front at the top of the Premier League could bring out the best in his Chelsea team-mates this season. Three splendid goals by a much-changed side saw Chelsea come from behind three times in Monday night's derby. Petr Cech believes the clean sheet against Manchester United is a huge boost for team confidence.
Chelsea Football Club has donated the commemorative shirts used in Sunday's win over Manchester United to help raise funds for the Poppy Appeal. The forthcoming international fixtures at many age levels have bitten into the team selected by Steve Holland for Monday evening's home game. On Monday the official Chelsea website catches up with the expert summariser from the club's radio partner, BBC London 94.9, for analysis of the weekend's game. Neither John Terry nor Nicolas Anelka were able to clear up totally the confusion over who scored Sunday's winning goal. Carlo Ancelotti praised his players' start to the season after a solitary goal against Manchester United put us five points clear at the top of the Premier League. Hilario has received his first call-up for the Portugal national team ahead of their World Cup qualification play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Chelsea's reserve team plays at home on Monday evening. The opposition is Fulham and the match will be broadcast live on Chelsea TV.
Nicolas Anelka and John Terry can argue about who is the hero of a tight and toughly-contested match at Stamford Bridge. John Terry was the hero of a tight and toughly-contested match at Stamford Bridge, the captain's second-half header from a free-kick dividing the teams. 75' CHELSEA GOAL: Lampard whips in a free-kick , Terry heads it goalwards and into the corner, it may have hit Anelka on the way. Who cares? Chelsea lead. Ricardo Carvalho returns in central defence and Deco is preferred to Joe Cole at the front of the midfield diamond. You can read today's matchday programme notes online. John Terry believes we are in the perfect form to face Manchester United this afternoon, but is wary of the threat posed by our visitors' forward line. Chelsea have earned praise this season for the football that is easy on the eye. Some say we're playing a more exciting style than Manchester United. Carlo Ancelotti is not one of them. Sunday marks Joe Cole's 28th birthday, but he insists his pre-match rituals will be no different to usual. Carlo Ancelotti has been talking in depth about this weekend's opponents and his previous encounters with their manager, Alex Ferguson. Chelsea players welcomed members of the armed forces to Cobham to mark the start of the club's support for the 2009 Poppy Appeal. Chelsea will not automatically sign new players in the January window according to the manager now there is a stay on Fifa's ban . Chelsea's Under 18s side secured another home win at a chilly Cobham today as they saw off visitors Portsmouth. Chelsea's red hot striker has had a busy seven days. He also has news of an important charity event. On Sunday, Carlo Ancelotti faces what is likely to be the sternest test of his Chelsea team so far. He believes the challenge couldn't come on a better weekend.
As an experienced player on football's top stages, Deco believes this weekend's visit of Manchester United is as big as they come. In light of numerous media enquiries, Chelsea can confirm that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has informed us that it has agreed to a stay of the two window transfer ban and the playing ban. Chelsea and Sunday's visitors have identical records from our league meetings in the Premier League era. There has been a change to the following fixtures' kick off times as they will now be broadcast live on television. Chelsea is aware that a number of fans are disappointed with the time taken to access their seats through the turnstiles as kick-off time approaches.
Anyone heading to Stamford Bridge for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester United may appreciate the following information. In his first major interview since beginning life as chief executive, Ron Gourlay has discussed his past and his ways of working. In his exclusive interview with Chelsea TV, new chief executive Ron Gourlay has been explaining how he aims to appoint a supporter liaison manager.
Gourlay, who has sat on the Fans' Forums in recent years, outlined an increase in discussion with supporters as one of his primary objectives, referencing ticket pricing as an area where we have succeeded in recent times.
'We've frozen the prices for four years now and that has been very well received by the fans,' he said.
'I have been very close to the Fans' Forum in the last three or four years and it has been a great platform to understand with more insight into what the fans want from their football club. What I wanted to do was get closer and one of the changes is that I will introduce a new role into the business which will be supporter liaison manager.
'That will be a key role working with the fans, getting to understand more the needs of the fans. We do lots of requests already, we give free away travel to games, cut ticket prices, we can't do all of the things requested but it will be good to see which ones the fans want more and which ones are more important.
'Working more closely domestically with the fans and nationally with our supporters groups and our international membership, we have a lot of people out there who will never come to see us play at Stamford Bridge, so how do we connect with some of these fans and make them feel part of their football club.'
And what ideas does he have regarding these developments?
'More focus groups, a greater interaction with the fans on an international and domestic basis, understanding more of the needs of the fans from their football club and understanding more where they would like to see their membership go.'
Ron Gourlay has confirmed the club is in talks over a new contract with Joe Cole as our number 10 heads towards his 28th birthday. New Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has revealed that the club would consider naming rights for Stamford Bridge. Being a player of the digital age, Frank Lampard is able to watch a new DVD chronicling his full Chelsea career. Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to follow in John Terry's footsteps and lift the Barclays Premier League Trophy? Florent Malouda believes the form of Didier Drogba can be the difference between ourselves and Manchester United on Sunday. Ticket sale dates for our fifth round Carling Cup game against Blackburn Rovers have been announced. |
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