http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~2222056,00.html

cosmic !!

I wonder how many times the words 'Ivanovic' and 'wrap up in cotton wool' are going to appear together in this thread.

I wonder what Nathaniel Chalobah is up to this weekend...

have we got time to fly Mickey Droy back before next weekend?

I'll start cleaning my boots

Taking a look at our upcoming fixtures, we are surely doomed. Perhaps Bruma can somehow step up and do enough to keep us in the race until Alex and JT are back

It may have nothing to do with it but is our medical team really up to it?

Benayoun questioned their expertise, Lampard can't seem to get fit for weeks, Terry apparently has been playing through pain for a long time and no one seems to know how to fix him, now Alex....

Didn't Alex join the Brazil squad in qatar despite this? It never rains. As D:Ream once sung "Things can only get better". Right?

I don't think Mancienne or Cork or are an option as players cannot be recalled from season long loans. So beyond Bruma and Ivan we are looking at the following:

Out of position options:

Paulo

Van Aanholt

Essien

Youth/Reserves:

Magnay

Pappoe

Chalobah

I've heard good things about Pappoe but I'd say Chalobah has a better chance of being pushed into the first team in an emergency. This despite being only 15. He has already been on the bench so he is clearly highly rated. Surely we will do something when the transfer window opens though? We have had some bad luck with injuries but our squad clearly was too thin in this area when you consider that JT's issues have been known for a while and Alex has had his fair share of injuries.

Ivan is also just one yellow card from a ban now so its almost inevitable he will miss a match in the next few weeks.

Terry apparently has been playing through pain for a long time

Bit unfair, nerve injuries/problems are a bar steward I know and in my case they knew which nerve was damaged (the surgeon done it himself) trouble is the referred pain. In Terry's case the pain is in his leg but I'd bet my wife that the problem is in his back.

Anyways it time for Jeffery to plonk his tackle on the table and shows us he's a man.

I don't know how it works but can't we someway recall somebody that is on loan? Mancienne would be great to have right now. He can play CB or RB.

Youth/Reserves:

Magnay

Pappoe

Chalobah

What about Ince?

Time for Bruma to prove his worth, we can't play with Paulo at the back again, especially away from home.

What about Ince?

Ince has only just returned from injury himself. It seems the CB position is fated this season.

So right now our strongest defensive line up for the next few weeks is:

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

Bosingwa ------ Ivanovic -------- Bruma --------- Cole (?)

Least it'll give Bruma some first team experience, I don't know how serious Cole's injury is though.

Step up Jeff, this has to be his chance. I'd be extremely disappointed if we went for another option.

So right now our strongest defensive line up for the next few weeks is:

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

Bosingwa ------ Ivanovic -------- Bruma --------- Cole (?)

Least it'll give Bruma some first team experience, I don't know how serious Cole's injury is though.

You're right to question Cole's injury. Maybe we should have sent him away with England so their medical staff could tell our medical staff what was wrong with him. If he does have to miss out then the two options there are Zhirkov and van Aanholt

What about Ince?

A little old isn't he? ;)

Oh that Ince. Yes forgot about him. Add him to the list. Probably at the same level as Pappoe. He is the nephew of Eric Young who was a good player in his day at Wimbledon. We will never have a better opportunity to see which of these players (if any) are good enough. Unfortunately it may cost us the title this season but is that the end of the world? At the start of the season I think many of us saw this as a possible rebuilding year with many of squad getting old and the decision to go with youth squad members rather than more spending. Our great start changed our outlook but I think we have to be more realistic at this point. Lets see what the younger players can do and we will just have to see where we are at when we start getting players back.

You're right to question Cole's injury. Maybe we should have sent him away with England so their medical staff could tell our medical staff what was wrong with him. If he does have to miss out then the two options there are Zhirkov and van Aanholt

Agreed. While we don't want to lose yet another one of our best players we do at least have more options in this position for now.

Out of position options:

Paulo

Van Aanholt

Essien

Essien would be an option if we weren't a little short in midfield ...

Bruma should be given his chance however there is one other option which no one has mentioned that we may need to consider if all else fails - Didier Drogba - started out as a centre back and even filled in there briefly earlier this season when Alex went off against Arsenal. Appreciate this isn't ideal but I'd be confident he'd win pretty much everything in the air. Don't want us to have to take this option though - this would purely be as a last resort.

Essien would be an option if we weren't a little short in midfield ...

......or wasn't suspended

Drogba can fill in CB too, but with 1 goal scored in our last 3 games we might need him up the other end.

This is Bruma's moment, if he doesn't start might as well ship him out in January as he's taking up a place in the squad for no reason.

Great opportunity for Bruma.

Difficult few games coming up.

A real threat to CFC all these injuries but it could act as a catlyst to gel the remaining players into a team.

Back four will need time to train together and gel. Thank heaven that Cech is on top form.

42 points is all we need to stay up this season I reckon.

Can't we recall Mancienne from loan?

Bruma should be given his chance however there is one other option which no one has mentioned that we may need to consider if all else fails - Didier Drogba - started out as a centre back and even filled in there briefly earlier this season when Alex went off against Arsenal. Appreciate this isn't ideal but I'd be confident he'd win pretty much everything in the air. Don't want us to have to take this option though - this would purely be as a last resort.

I made the same suggestion a day or two back in the "Is Our Squad Depth Really Good Enough" thread, but I fully agree that this should be considered only as a last ditch resort. Bringing Sturridge back into the squad would certainly make it a possible emergency option.