Michael Ballack believes Chelsea are in a prime position to challenge for all four titles this season.

The German captain told Chelsea TV that we have a strong enough squad to compete and win in all competitions.

Happy to be back in the thick of things after missing out on the beginning of last season due to injury, Ballack was keen to express the club's need for a large squad and explained that the Barclays Premier League was the main target of the four.

'In Germany we always said the biggest thing to win is the league title, because it is a competition for the whole season, so we are looking for this title and also the Champions League,' explained Ballack.

'We have a big squad and a strong squad in midfield, but it is a big competition.

'We have a big target to win not just one title, but go for all four, so we need a big squad.

'It shows that Chelsea has a very good team and is very organised and competitive.

'We haven't just had one good season, the last few seasons we have done very well and we were very close.

'But we want to win these titles and this season we will try again.'

This time last year Ballack was sidelined from the squad with an ankle problem and didn't return to first team football until December, when he came on as a substitute against Liverpool in the Carling Cup.

The midfielders delight at returning to the game proves his committed to the sport, and, despite slight motivational worries during this tense period of injury, the character and resilience Ballack possesses.

'I was so happy to come back,' said Ballack.

'That was the main thing for me, to play football again, because it was a long time for me to be out.

'If you don't know [what's wrong] after about five or six months and you have no improvement it is difficult in your mind to motivate yourself.

'To walk in the gym, to walk with the physio and feel a little bit of an improvement, then you get the motivation and you can keep going.

'But if you have no improvement then that's difficult, and so I was very happy after I came back in December to play and come so close to a title.'

But coming so close to the title is something that seemed an impossible fete to many at the beginning of last season, and Ballack feels this will not be the case this year and Chelsea have to look onwards and upwards to the new season.

'We didn't win the title, we were very close, but in the end we lost, and the Champions League Final, everybody was disappointed about this.

'But we have to look forward to the next season. We have a good squad and another chance to win four titles.

'I am happy and I am prepared for this season, now everything is fine and I am looking forward to playing next season.'