Ricardo Carvalho has declared himself back in full working order should Carlo Ancelotti require him to play a part in two away games in four days.

The Chelsea manager is expected to utilise his squad during a crowded week that will end with a Saturday match at home to Aston Villa after the trips to Blackburn and Portsmouth.

Carvalho was back on the bench for the Inter Champions League defeat having missed the previous two Chelsea games after withdrawing from the Portugal squad last month. The injury was not as widely reported.

'There was no problem with my hamstring,' he told Chelsea TV after training ahead of Sunday's game.

'It was just a little bit the nerve in my back and I was out for a few days but I recovered quickly. I can run, I am training normally and I feel fit. I am training every day to be back in the team and play 90 minutes.'

For once our opponents appear to have as many injury problems as Chelsea, including their first choice keeper Paul Robinson in the treatment room, but the make up of the Blackburn side is not occupying the players' thoughts greatly.

'It is a pity for the game when you have got injured players,' says Carvalho. 'We also have got key players that are injured but we still have to do our best, play at our level and win the game. We have two games away and we have to win both.

'We have to be focused and everyone has to do our best and it will be easy after that. Everyone knows we have to improve on how we played in the last game. We have to be stronger in these last two months to get results. '

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