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Reserve Profiles
 Carlo Ancelotti does not expect to make wholesale changes to his team for tomorrow's trip to Blackburn.
With the FA Youth Cup returning to Stamford Bridge on Monday, former winner Daniel Sturridge has urged fans to support the lads in their semi-final. Chelsea will be the last of the three title contenders in action this weekend and it could be a tough encounter away to Blackburn. Carlo Ancelotti may have Petr Cech available for selection as we look to recover from Champions League disappointment at Blackburn on Sunday. To return to winning ways Chelsea must beat a Blackburn side that has won its last four home games and knocked us out of the Carling Cup at Ewood Park. It's been a busy week for Dermot Drummy, who guided his side to a first leg FA Youth Cup semi-final win over Blackburn on Wednesday. The second leg is at the Bridge on Monday. Sky will be launching Europe's first 3D TV channel with coverage of our trip to Manchester United on April 3. Chelsea play after our title rivals this weekend with eyes on Carlo Ancelotti's team to see how European defeat has impacted. Chelsea's annual Player of the Year event will be taking place on Thursday 6 May this season. Chelsea players have an added incentive to grab the goals on Sunday. Anyone heading north for the weekend clash with Blackburn may appreciate the following information. Thrust into the limelight against West Ham and Inter, Ross Turnbull has been telling us what he makes of all the attention... Chelsea's second string were victorious against Charlton at Cobham on Wednesday, but defender Carl Magnay suffered a serious knee injury... Two young Chelsea fans were granted the wish of a lifetime this week when they visited our Cobham training ground to see the squad in action. Following our exit from the Champions League on Tuesday, Didier Drogba knows we have to improve if we want to win the domestic league title. Chelsea Ladies produced an emphatic weekend win over Blackburn to keep us on form for the FA Cup semi-final. There's never a dull moment inside Stamford Bridge at the moment and the official club podcast Inside Chelsea documents it all. Tonight's Blues News hears from the returning Ricardo Carvalho ahead of a possible start for the defender this weekend. It's been 40 years since the Blues won our first FA Cup trophy and to celebrate the occasion you can spend an evening with some of the winning team. A first-half own-goal has given Chelsea a good chance of making a second FA Youth Cup Final in three years. Michael Ballack admitted we had 'no answers' to Inter's strong defensive display at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening. Fresh from the Bridge having witnessed the defeat, columnist Giles Smith is quick to compare, contrast and prioritise. Youth team goalkeeper Sam Walker and coach Dermot Drummy have been explaining why they have belief ahead of their semi-final trip to Blackburn tonight.
As the dust settled on Chelsea's Champions League exit, the two managers were in agreement. Inter were worthy winners. We will have to wait another year for Champions League success after being beaten at home by an Inter side we found impossible to break down. We will have to wait another year for Champions League success after being beaten at home by an Inter side we found impossible to break down. 43 Appeal: Two Chelsea corners and it should have been two Chelsea penalties. Carlo Ancelotti makes just one change from the side that started the win over West Ham. Yury Zhirkov replaces Paulo Ferreira at left-back. You can read today's matchday programme notes online. Branislav Ivanovic never played under Jose Mourinho, but tonight there is the opportunity to face-off against his own international captain. He'll be there at the biggest game of the season and columnist Pat Nevin is expecting to see a whole team standing up and being counted. It's easy to draw parallels between tonight's game and the one Chelsea faced five years go versus Barcelona. Joe Cole, part of the team that night, sees differences too. As Chelsea entertain Inter at the Bridge for the first time, the Italian champions stand between us and a continued run at three trophies Tore Andre Flo will be offering his expert insight in Matchnight Live on Chelsea TV this evening. Man of the moment Florent Malouda is in charitable mood in this month's magazine, while cult hero Branislav Ivanovic discusses his rise to prominence. On Friday we said: 'Chelsea are 1.84 to win by two or more on Saturday but given the ability of both sides to score it makes better value to bet on the Asian Handicap goals market.'
On Tuesday night Chelsea face Inter Milan at home in the Champions League. Chelsea have come back to the Bridge twice before in Europe having suffered a 2-1 defeat away from home in the first leg. On both occasions they came through winning 4-2 against Barcelona in 2005 and 2-0 against Fenerbahce two years ago.
The odds against a Blues win are 1.60 but there is better value in backing them to win in the Asian Handicap market where Chelsea give up a one-goal start. If the Blues win by one you get your stake back. If they win by more you win at odds of 2.07.
Inter will know that if Chelsea score then that will be enough to see them through so a Blues breakthrough will force them to come out and attack, hopefully leaving gaps at the back for Malouda and others to exploit.
Inter have gone out to Man United and Liverpool at this stage in the last two years, losing 2-0 in England on both occasions. A repeat of the same score line for Chelsea can be backed at odds of 6.50.
There have been further announcements made regarding ticket sales for our Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester United. Carlo Ancelotti, conscious Inter will be tactically fluid on Tuesday, believes the tie will be decided by how Chelsea play more than the Italian side's performance. Jose Mourinho, who once famously named the opposition's side ahead of a big Champions League tie with Barcelona, was not able to do the same for the Chelsea team. In-form Florent Malouda believes past allegiances will be no distraction for Chelsea's players when they step out at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. Carlo Ancelotti has no new injury worries ahead of our Champions League clash with Inter Milan tomorrow. Didier Drogba has appealed to all Chelsea fans heading to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to take up position early and help make it a night to remember. For everyone watching one man stood out as the Blues romped home to a 4-1 derby win on Saturday. Carlo Ancelotti insists his side will play a patient game against Inter on Tuesday night. Having watched his team run out comfortable winners against West Ham, Carlo Ancelotti was confident the Manchester City defeat is now out of Chelsea's system. Chelsea will spend Saturday evening back on top of the league table following a morale-boosting derby demolition of West Ham. Chelsea will spend Saturday evening back on top of the league table following a morale-boosting derby demolition of West Ham. 77' CHELSEA GOAL: Malouda makes it three from the edge of the box and a smartly taken left-footed drive along the floor after breaking down the centre of the pitch. Paulo Ferreira retains his place at left-back with Yury Zhirkov returning from injury on the bench. Chelsea's youth team made it a successful week for the club with a 2-0 home win over Birmingham on Saturday. Carlo Ancelotti has been considering the pressure facing Ross Turnbull ahead of this afternoon's game with West Ham, and has tipped the keeper to cope well. John Mikel Obi has called on the importance of an early goal when West Ham visit Stamford Bridge this afternoon. Striker Daniel Sturridge scored twice for the reserves this week, enjoying his short stint with the second string, but still can't give them too much praise... In their final game before travelling to Stamford Bridge, next Tuesday's Champions League opponents Inter suffered their first defeat in 18 games. Carlo Ancelotti has been talking injuries as he welcomes Yury Zhirkov back into his squad and prepares to give a Chelsea league debut to Ross Turnbull. Frank Lampard has praised one of his former team-mates for the progress he has made since leaving Chelsea in 2006...
An evening of entertainment took place at Stamford Bridge last night as Carlo Ancelotti and Ray Wilkins were our Stars on a Stool. Anyone heading to Stamford Bridge for tomorrow's London derby may appreciate the following information. The third of four consecutive home games brings a return to league action and a chance to go back on top. Ticket sale dates for our FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa at Wembley have been announced. Two youth team league fixtures have been postponed. Didier Drogba has been named the African Player of the Year for the second time in his career. From Bentley to Zola via Greaves and Osgood - that's the B to Z of Chelsea Legends featured in a new section. Now we want fans to add some more. Due to us reaching the FA Cup semi-final, our Premier League home game against Bolton Wanderers has been moved back one day. Alex has been nominated for the E.ON Player of the Round after his performance in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Stoke at Stamford Bridge. Bon anniversaire Didier Drogba - 32 years old today! Chelsea mascot Stamford the Lion was a special guest on Capital FM this week following the announcement he'll be running the London Marathon. Chelsea Ladies are through to the FA Cup semi-finals thanks to a closely contested weekend win over Aston Villa. This week's official club podcast Inside Chelsea tells of a weekend game that took us to our 19th FA Cup semi-final. Daniel Sturridge struck twice for Chelsea reserves as we saw off a young Stoke City side at Cobham on Wednesday evening. Our FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa will take place at Wembley on Saturday, April 10, with a 5pm kick-off. Chelsea FC is 105 years old today and to mark the occasion corrections to statistical records for players from the first half-century of the club's existence are published. Columnist and season-ticket holder Giles Smith has been considering the evolution of the goal celebration, and considers John Terry quite the expert. Next month marks the 40th anniversary of one of Chelsea's greatest-ever triumphs - the 1970 FA Cup Final victory over Leeds United. The reserve line-up for tonight's game against Stoke has been announced, and as expected Daniel Sturridge and Fabio Borini both start up front. Look a little deeper than the bare facts suggests Pat Nevin in this week's column when questions are asked of the players pushed wide. The players are back training today and as they begin preparations to face West Ham, Frank Lampard hopes FA Cup victory has restarted the push for trophies. Tickets for the league match away to Manchester United are being sold on a loyalty point basis and are on sale tomorrow (Wednesday) to season ticket holders with 95 points or more. Frank Lampard has moved ahead of Marcel Desailly to become the player who has accumulated the most international caps over the course of his Chelsea career. Seats for the FA Youth Cup semi-final clash on Monday 22 March are now available online and via the box office and call centre. Alex, an ever-present in the FA Cup run to the semi-final, has earned praise for his part in earning the clean sheet and victory against Stoke on Sunday. Goalscorer John Terry believes the Chelsea team deserves credit for bouncing back from the Manchester City defeat by overcoming underrated opposition in Stoke City. Our Champions League opponents Inter played out a goalless draw at home to Genoa on Sunday evening.
Chelsea Ladies secured progression to the FA Women's Cup semi-finals this weekend with a tense 4-3 extra-time win over Aston Villa. Ray Wilkins was impressed with the side's application against Stoke, and stressed afterwards that the FA Cup remains a priority. Chelsea will play Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. Fresh from England action at Wembley, Frank Lampard and John Terry made sure they will be retuning there soon by firing Chelsea in to the semi-final of the FA Cup. Fresh from England action at Wembley, Frank Lampard and John Terry made sure they will be retuning there soon by firing Chelsea in to the semi-final of the FA Cup. 34' CHELSEA GOAL: A little pressure pays off, and Lampard's shot is deflected in after Terry's lays a loose ball into the midfielder's path following a Chelsea corner. Carlo Ancelotti has selected a strong side for the quarter-final. Didier Drogba leads the attack with Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou in support. You can read today's matchday programme notes online. Ray Wilkins insists the desire to win a successive FA Cup trophy is huge inside the Chelsea camp. With the Chelsea squad depleted of midfielders, Deco has made a timely confirmation of his availability ahead of the visit from Stoke. For a man of Frank Lampard's FA Cup scoring pedigree, this season's cup run has so far yielded a modest return. On Sunday comes a chance to do something about that. Chelsea Under 18s lost a two-goal lead against Southampton at a chilly Cobham today (Saturday). It would have been difficult to forecast what happened last weekend. After successive defeats for the first time this season, Ray Wilkins has been putting things in perspective. Chelsea mascot Stamford has been busy training with the first team squad this week, as well as enjoying a little bit of buffalo... Fit again after injury, Alex has been considering how to effectively combat Stoke City's direct style of play, which also has its fans in Holland... |
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