Drogs, Cole and Lamps will return in place of Sturridge, Zhirkov and probably Benayoun. We shouldn't under estimate Blackpool but at the same time lets not get caught up in too much 'Blackpool should be shown respect' jazz. We should put out a full strength side, aim to get the job done by about 60 minutes and then look to rest a few players.

Should be a comfortable win, but you never know.

Carlo should field the strongest possible team out there to make sure we get all 3 pts, great start to the season if we manage it and the real first big test will be against Man City.

Blackpool is this years Wigan or Hull. It's early in the season and it's not going to be easy to beat them.

We need a 100% effort to get the three points.

I guess we'll play

Cech

Ferreira - Alex - JT - Ash

Essien - Lampard - Mikel

Anelka - Drogba - Malouda

If Alex isn't ready to play two games in a row we might see Ivan play there.

Boss isn't, as far as I know, ready to make a comeback and Carlo haven't used Ivan as RB this season so I guess Ferreira will play.

Put out the strong stuff but I say half time appearances given out if we are leading by 2 or more!

I would play Ivan at rb. Might still give frank another day off or play him instead of essien and give ramires another game. Might play sturridge again instead of anelka.

Cech

Ivan alex Terry Cole

Ramires mikel frank

Sturridge drogba malouda

Subs anelka essien kalou Paulo

Carlo haven't used Ivan as RB this season so I guess Ferreira will play.

Did not Ivan play RB against Wigan? and was replaced by Ferreira on the hour mark, in reverse of the first game against West Brom.

Blackpool will represent a stronger challenge than we met in the mid-week game against Zilina so we should put out the strongest team possible with recalls to Ash, Drogba and if fully fit Lamps, so my team prediction is.

Cech

Ivan, Alex, JT, Ash.

Essien, Mickel, Lamps/Benajoun.

Anelka, Drgba, Malouda.

That should be strong enough team to collect three points, and improve our goal difference a tad more. 3 - 0 with our strike force all getting on the score sheet.

I don't like to see the full first team on display for a home game against blackpool .

Though not underestimating them , this is a chance for us to rotate the players . We cannot afford to do that against Mancity and Arsenal in the next 2 games. We could certainly afford to rest malouda and even Anelka if possible . Since this is a home game , I would like Carlo to take a chance to rest Mikel and play 2 box to box players in Essien and Ramires .

My starting 11

------------------Cech----------------------

Ivan ------- Alex ----- Terry ---- Acole

---------Essien ---------Ramires---------

-----------------Lampard ------------------

Sturridge ------ Drogba ------- Zhirkov

Probabky even Lampard and Ramires can exchange their places .. Ramires can play further up than Lampard . Well , Never question a brazilian's skills up front ... :)

Lamps isn't playing.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has not recovered from hernia surgery and will miss their game against Blackpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Lampard requires more work on his groin but could be fit enough for the Carling Cup clash against Newcastle next week. Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, who was suspended for the Champions League game against MSK Zilina in midweek, returns to the squad.

Rested Ashley Cole is back in contention but right-back Jose Bosingwa remains out with a knee injury.

would love to see kukuta , essian, obi/Ramires mid field for this game. Bring on yossi if kukuta is cutting it or to replace essian if the game gets out of hand.

Did not Ivan play RB against Wigan? and was replaced by Ferreira on the hour mark, in reverse of the first game against West Brom.

What I meant was that so far it appears that Ferreira is first choice and Ivan is considered more as a backup.

I might be wrong but surely Ferreira has played more than Ivan?

What I meant was that so far it appears that Ferreira is first choice and Ivan is considered more as a backup.

I might be wrong but surely Ferreira has played more than Ivan?

No, Ferreira has only started couple of matches when Ivan was carrying a knock and another when Alex was rested. Should see Ivan back at right-back from now onwards.

Sounds like its going to be

cech

paublo terry alex cole

essian obi ramires

Nic Drogs Kalou

Is Lampard fit to play??

Nope, hernia surgery still bothering him (not surprising, usually takes at least 2 weeks to heal). For me this is a good test for the squad considering that Blackpool are on a roll for a team just promoted, so I wouldn't make the youngsters start this one. My formation:

-----------------Cech------------------

Ivanovic---Alex---Terry----Zhirkov

-----------------Mikel------------------

------Essien----------Ramires----

Anelka----------------------Malouda

----------------Drogba-----------------

I would use Zhrikov istead of Ashley as he seriously needs games as was shown on the weekend. I believe the setup will be similar to the one we used against West Ham, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Kalou start or Benayoun for that matter instead of Anelka. As for the score, 2-0, I don't see them rolling down as the other clubs did. They're a newly promoted team, but have a bite to them, like someone said previously, they seem to be the new Wigan of years prior. (or I might be completely wrong, and we get another six past them!)

Edited September 17, 201015 yr by SpAcE126

Shame that Lampard isn't fit... :( I would use Zhirkov instead of Ashley too, he was doing very well last game.

I'm going to sound like a right boring c**t, practically repeating what I said before the Zilina game, but I'd play Benayoun instead of either Essien or Ramires. Not just because he played very well against Zilina, but also because we could do with his creativity in the side, and also his pace catching what is a very attacking Blackpool side on the break. Him Essien and Mikel should be way too strong for Blackpool to cope with, but would give us more of an attacking threat than playing Essien and Ramires together.

I'm definitely not saying that we should take it easy against Blackpool or underestimate what a side with a point to prove can do, but I'd rather see Yossi attacking from the centre. I'm sure this is what we bought him for... covering Lampard, adding creativity and pace (especially against weaker sides), and picking out the killer passes.

Right. Benayoun played very well against Zillina. I'd play Benayoun, Ramires and Essien in the middle.

Couldn't agree more Eggy, this is exactly why we bought Yossi in my opinion. His pace and passing should be able to cut an ambitious, but potentially a bit naive, Blackpool apart.

We can use Yossi especially that Lampard won't play. I think that Yossi is very useful player for us...

Yossi wont be playing as it conflicts with a Jewish Holiday. Lampard is still not fit

So i guess the midfield trio will be Mikel, Essien & Ramires again.

Jewish Holiday is ending on the midnight so he is going to play.

Edited September 17, 201015 yr by Mikstaw

Yossi wont be playing as it conflicts with a Jewish Holiday. Lampard is still not fit

So i guess the midfield trio will be Mikel, Essien & Ramires again.

We'll tell Yossi the pitch is kosher ;)

He's going to play because the game in on Sunday...

Yossi wont be playing as it conflicts with a Jewish Holiday. Lampard is still not fit

So i guess the midfield trio will be Mikel, Essien & Ramires again.

Yon Kippur, Holy day, not holiday, but that is between Friday night and Saturday, we play late afternoon Sunday, see no reason why he can not play.

With two days to go Carlo Ancelotti is planning changes to his side for the visit of Blackpool, but hasn't settled on a starting 11 yet, although he knows he will again be without Frank Lampard.

The vice-captain is yet to recover fully from surgery on his groin and will continue to train individually over the weekend to strengthen muscle in that region.

Jose Bosingwa remains out although the right-back's return is imminent, but contrary to some media reports Yossi Benayoun is available for selection. Yom Kippur that keeps fellow Israelis Avram Grant and Tal Ben Haim from attending West Ham's game on Saturday will have ended before Sunday.

Benayoun is one of the players in the frame to take the place vacated by Lampard's absence, as he did in Zilina midweek, although no decision has yet been made.

'He [benayoun] played very well first half, taking the right positions and he made two assists,' Ancelotti says.

'It is a new position for him but he can play that position because he is intelligent and we need to have intelligent players in midfield because then we can rotate places there.Yossi will take up the right positions.

'But Ramires played a good game against West Ham and he is fresh,' the manager adds, emphasising he has yet to choose the side.

'Lampard will be fit next week, for the Carling Cup I think. He is training but we don't want to take a risk.'

No-one will be surprised if Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole start versus Blackpool, both having remained at Cobham while the team were playing in Slovakia, and this rotation of the squad in the opening month is important to the team's prospects according to Ancelotti.

'I try to put my idea of football to the team but it is not my team because this club had a precise identity before I came here,' he claims.

'I have my idea of football, we changed something last year and now I think we have more confidence in our play, we have more knowledge, and for this reason we are doing well.

'We know every game could be difficult for us but the atmosphere is good now. The players are all involved in the team and I am happy for this, and if we can continue the atmosphere we can have success this year.'

People outside Chelsea have pointed to our early fixtures and claimed we will not have faced a true test before we travel to Manchester City next weekend, but Ancelotti is ignoring such talk.

'To think about the game against Man City is too far, we have to think game by game. Blackpool is a good team and they have won two games away, they are showing good spirit and so we have to pay attention, this is not an easy game.'

Finally the manager has also reacted to one of this week's hot topics - bad tackling in the Premier League, as raised by Arsene Wenger.

Firstly Ancelotti sent good wishes to Manchester United's Antonio Valencia who broke his ankle on Champions League duty.

'Valencia was unlucky because the defender didn't make a bad tackle. I want to wish him a quick recovery.

'The tempo of the game here is different from other countries but I don't think that here there are more bad tackles.

'There is fair play here and I have trust in the referees. If there is a bad tackle then the referee can judge.'

from: www.chelseafc.com

Well with Lampard out I hope we'll see Yossi again. He was good against Zilina. I think we need him against Blackpool.

If we have a strong lead then Ramires can replace Essien.