I think it is pretty safe to say that the clever money was on Burnley to drop straight back down this season and although that may well still happen you have to doff your cap to them for taking three points against Man Utd and Everton after starting the season with a pretty dismal performance agaisnt Stoke.

After the surprise resting of Deco and Essien against Sunderland I think it is clear we will see mroe changes against Burnley. Is Lampad the next to be rested?

I think we will see Lampard play most games, after all he was subbed with about 10 minutes left against Fulham.

It seems that we have a core of players that are starting most games, and then a few that are interchangeable. I wonder if Ivan will play this game, but if he does will it be ahead of Bosingwa or carvalho? Terry and Ashley Cole seem to be locks for their posissions.

In the mid, I think we'll see Essien back, but as to who will play along side him? I think it may well be ballack and Lampard.

Up Front, I think we should stick with Anelka and Drogba, but maybe see Anelka subbed early for Kalou, and then Drogba taken off for Sturridge if we are in comand

Ancelotti has stated that he will rest players over 30 to get the most out of them, so I could see us change up quite a few times in the season.

Scott

PS. Alex, and Yuri are still injured, correct?

I'm a bit worried about seeing Lampard rested as well, loz. I remember at the end of Hiddink's reign, Lampard was told he was to be rested in one of the last (and relatively meaningless) Premier League games, and he gave Hiddink a look that said "That's not gonna happen".

Anyway, I'm taking him out of my fantasy football team, so that means he's a dead cert to get a hat trick against Burnley.

I think we'll find them harder than we'd expect to break down, but prevail in the end. 2 or 3-1, maybe.

Zhirkov said that he should be back by Burnley, so here's hoping he is!

Essien and Deco to return instead of Malouda and Mikel, in a diamond of Ballack, Lampard, Essien and Deco. But other than that, I think it'll stay the same.

I think we could bowl them over, 4-0.

We need to rest Drogba as well. There is no way he can go a whole season at peak form. Whether this is the game to do it I don't know, there's a full week between Fulham and Burnley.

In the midfield I'm not sure it matters which group play. Being a home game, I'd be inclined to give Deco a nod over Mikel and see if the real Deco can show up two games in a row.

Another I'd like to give a rest to is A Cole, playing great but covering a lot of territory.

The players should be kept as fresh as possible. If our advantage is a big squad let's use it.

I heard that Zhirkov might be back so maybe he'll get to play. Will probably start on the bench however.

Maybe Alex and Ivanovic will play? Alex instead of Riccy and Ivanovic instead of Bosingwa.

And maybe Turnbull will get a shot and we'll rest Cech? :lol:

I heard that Zhirkov might be back so maybe he'll get to play. Will probably start on the bench however.

Maybe Alex and Ivanovic will play? Alex instead of Riccy and Ivanovic instead of Bosingwa.

And maybe Turnbull will get a shot and we'll rest Cech? :lol:

I take it from the wink you were joking about Turnbull right?

I heard that Zhirkov might be back so maybe he'll get to play. Will probably start on the bench however.

Maybe Alex and Ivanovic will play? Alex instead of Riccy and Ivanovic instead of Bosingwa.

And maybe Turnbull will get a shot and we'll rest Cech? ;)

Not certain but i think alex is still injured, owen coyle came out and said that they not just going to park the bus against us. I think if we get an early goal we should be able to put a few past them.

I take it from the wink you were joking about Turnbull right?

Of course. Do you really have to ask? ;)

I don't mind Turnbull getting some time on the pitch, but not now. He can play in one of the cups.

Resting players is good if you have good enough players to replace them . Resting Lamps v Burnley ? Stoke at home last season should put a hole in that idea.

To all the forum members in the U.S., the Burnley match will be shown live on ESPN2, Saturday, 7:45 Eastern Time.

There is absolutely no way we should be resting players, not at this stage of the season. We've only played 3 games!

I can understand it if we have two games in a week but tomorrow it needs to be the strongest team available, we have not played for 6 days and will not play for two weeks afterwards.

Maybe in the new year when matches, big important matches are coming thick and fast we can thinking about squad rotation, but for me in August its just a ludicrous notion. Still im not the boss!

Cech

A.Cole.

Terry

Carvalho

Boswinga

Essien

Deco

Ballack

Lampard

Anelka

Drogba

If we get an early goal tomorrow it could be a hatful, but Burnley could be stubbon, so who knows ?

Edited August 28, 200915 yr by bjd

Zhirkov isn't fit enough to play :D

Is Zhirkov actually going to make the bench?

Is Zhirkov actually going to make the bench?

Not according to this...

To all the forum members in the U.S., the Burnley match will be shown live on ESPN2, Saturday, 7:45 Eastern Time.

Yep, having games on ESPN is amazing this year...DVR set since I'll still be sleeping off my Friday night still.

'Tomorrow Zhirkov is not ready to play but he is a little bit better. He will go with the [Russian] national team and he may be possible to play with national team. He is very close.'

So basically he does the opposite of Gerrard. Not fit enough to play for us, but maybe fit enough to play for the national team.

I really hope Russia wont risk anything with Zhirkov so we end up getting an even more injured player back after the break. ;)

Think we'll line up with Cech, Bossie, Terry, Carvalho, Cole, Essien, Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Anelka, Drogba.

Subs, Turnbull, Belletti, Ivan, Mikel, Kalou, Sturridge, Malouda

I thought the match was tomorrow!

Just checked the ESPN listings for today as I wanted to know the time for the Man Utd vs Arsenal match, and was surprised to find our match before that. :)

Ancelotti's had his take on Drogba's behaviour :

THE SERIOUS SIDE

Posted on: Sat 29 Aug 2009

Carlo Ancelotti has concentrated on studying this season's Burnley and is unconcerned by last November's Carling Cup game.

Didier Drogba will be hoping for a more positive outcome against Burnley today than when Chelsea faced the Lancashire side last season.

Initially the Carling Cup fourth round tie at the Bridge went well, the Ivorian on his first start after injury opening the scoring with a lovely goal, but the evening turned sour with a penalty shoot-out defeat and an incident with the Burnley fans that led to a three-match ban for the striker.

Carlo Ancelotti has concentrated on studying this season's Burnley for his preparations rather than view that November game, but he has tapped into the knowledge held by his assistants on last season. He is not bothered by the events back then.

'It can happen that a player in one match can lose his control. Now I think Drogba is very calm; it is the past,' Ancelotti says.

'This match I did not know about before, and I see a very good professional. His focus is on the play and I don't think that we will have other problems.

'Drogba likes to joke,' continues Ancelotti, 'but he knows very well when we can joke and when we do the serious thing. It is important for a coach to have this type of player because it is impossible to stay always concentrated and impossible to always joke. Not only Drogba but all the players know this very well.'

Ancelotti will have to do without Drogba at times this season, principally during the African Cup of Nations early in the new year but also when a suspension is served at the beginning of the Champions League group.

Even with Andriy Shevchenko being allowed to find a new club, Ancelotti is not worried about striker stocks.

'In January we have the time to think if we need to take another striker. If [Nicolas] Anelka stays well and [Daniel] Sturridge can have the opportunity to play I don't think that it is necessary to take another striker.

'We are very lucky to have Drogba and Anelka, they are the same level as Fernando Torres and Emmanuel Adebayor.

'We lose Drogba for three matches in the Champions League and José Bosingwa for two but we have a squad that can cope.'

Ancelotti has also given his first thoughts on the Group Chelsea have been drawn in for Europe.

'My reaction is normal because there are not easy games in the Champions League. It is not an easy group for us because there is a team with a lot of experience like Porto. Porto always play in the Champions League. Atlético Madrid is not an easy game, especially in Madrid. But they all have to play here against Chelsea.'

Link

Edited August 29, 200915 yr by kalpitv

TEAM NEWS: CHELSEA V BURNLEY

Posted on: Sat 29 Aug 2009

Deco and Michael Essien return to the starting midfield as the 'Christmas tree' formation is once again deployed.

Deco will play alongside Nicolas Anelka, in behind Didier Drogba, with Frank Lampard playing deeper in midfield.

Essien takes over the holding role from John Mikel Obi. The rearguard is unchanged from Fulham.

Burnley are totally unchanged from the starting line up used in their win over Everton.

Chelsea will line up in a 4-3-2-1 formation as follows:

1 Petr Cech

17 José Bosingwa

6 Ricardo Carvalho

26 John Terry ©

3 Ashley Cole

13 Michael Ballack

5 Michael Essien

8 Frank Lampard

20 Deco

39 Nicolas Anelka

11 Didier Drogba

Substitutes: 40 Hilario, 2 Branislav Ivanovic, 35 Juliano Belletti, 12 John Mikel Obi, 15 Florent Malouda, 21 Salomon Kalou, 23 Daniel Sturridge.

Burnley are expected to line up in the following 4-1-4-1 formation:

Jensen; Mears, Carlisle, Bikey, Jordan; Alexander ©; Fletcher, Elliott, McCann, Blake; Paterson

Substitutes: Penny, Kalvenes, McDonald, Gudjonsson, Thompson, Guerrero, Eagles.

The referee is Mark Clattenburg.

Wasn't the 4-3-2-1 meant only for away games? :)

I am happy with that line up. If Anelka plays well then I think that is the strongest we have at the moment.

Yeah, that's as strong as we're getting at the moment. I'm very interested to know how he's going to deploy Joe Cole when (if?) he comes back.

1218: Chelsea v Burnley line-ups:

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Ballack, Deco, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba.

Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Mikel, Malouda, Kalou, Sturridge, Belletti.

Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Bikey, Jordan, Alexander, Blake, Elliott, McCann, Paterson, Steven Fletcher.

Subs: Penny, Kalvenes, McDonald, Gudjonsson, Thompson, Guerrero, Eagles.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).

Edited August 29, 200915 yr by coco

Yeah, that's as strong as we're getting at the moment. I'm very interested to know how he's going to deploy Joe Cole when (if?) he comes back.

Cole is nearly back - there was even some talk that he might make the bench today altohugh I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him for another 3 weeks or so