Next Assignment: Boro!

[Oblivion]

I'm bored, humour me please ;)

One international match down, one more to go and no (more) injury scares (fingers crossed).

This coming weekend, we'll have Boro over the weekend, a team that have reached the stage where they should remain unbeaten at home all season. Thus far, they've won 2 of the three games at home, losing 1-0 to West Brom.

We, on the other hand, have reached the stage where we need to beat teams like Boro in order to stay competitive. Many of our injured guys should be back this weekend, so:

.....................Cech

Bosingwa.....Alex.....JT..........Cole

...................Mikel

.........Lamps......Ballack

Joey..............................Malouda

...................Anelka

Hilario

Belletti

Ivanovic

Kalou

Deco

Di Santo

Sinclair

1-0 to the Blues?

[loz]

Pending JT and both Cole's fitness I think it is a fairly good bet that will be the first eleven. Should they not recover then we have obvious replacements in Ivanovic, Bridge and Kalou.

My main concern is how well Lampard and Ballack return from international duty as their performances are crucial to the overall team performance and, in particular, to how well the likes of Anelka and Malpida perform.

[dkw]

Pending JT and both Cole's fitness I think it is a fairly good bet that will be the first eleven. Should they not recover then we have obvious replacements in Ivanovic, Bridge and Kalou.

My main concern is how well Lampard and Ballack return from international duty as their performances are crucial to the overall team performance and, in particular, to how well the likes of Anelka and Malpida perform.

i think we should be ok with the squad, but id love to know who this new player malpida is, i though the transfer window was shut...... ;)

[loz]

Was confusing Malouda with the bloke who made my chicken pakora last night - easy mistake to make as neither deliver!!

[dkw]

Was confusing Malouda with the bloke who made my chicken pakora last night - easy mistake to make as neither deliver!!

touche....

[Tim W]

By all accounts both Cech and Ballack are struggling

[TomP]

It's going to be a bare-bones squad for this one, by the sounds of things.

Definately not playing - Essien, Carvalho, Deco, Drogba

Struggling - JT, A Cole, Ballack, Cech, J Cole, Alex, Anelka, Cech

Which leaves us with:

................................Hilario...................................

Bosingwa.........Ivanovic........Ferreira............Bridge

.................................Beletti...................................

.....................Lampard........Mikel...........................

...........Kalou............Di Santo..........Malouda...........

If we had to pick 100% fit players.

I would be surprised if at least 3 or 4 of the strugglers don't make it back in time though. Particularaly Anelka, Ballack and JT - I would be pretty surprised if they didn't play some part. I would expect those three to come in for Beletti, Ferreira and Di Santo - then to come off as subs when we are 3-0 up at half time.

[Oblivion]

It's going to be a bare-bones squad for this one, by the sounds of things.

Definately not playing - Essien, Carvalho, Deco, Drogba

Struggling - JT, A Cole, Ballack, Cech, J Cole, Alex, Anelka, Cech

Which leaves us with:

................................Hilario...................................

Bosingwa.........Ivanovic........Ferreira............Bridge

.................................Beletti...................................

.....................Lampard........Mikel...........................

...........Kalou............Di Santo..........Malouda...........

If we had to pick 100% fit players.

I would be surprised if at least 3 or 4 of the strugglers don't make it back in time though. Particularaly Anelka, Ballack and JT - I would be pretty surprised if they didn't play some part. I would expect those three to come in for Beletti, Ferreira and Di Santo - then to come off as subs when we are 3-0 up at half time.

That's a long list of crocked. Sheer bad luck that 3 of our four CBs are packing injuries. Can Mikel do box-to-box? He may have to, with Beletti filling in as a 5th CB when defending (Mikel's current role). I still feel that Anelka and JT may be rushed back, but when did Ballack and Cech pick an injury?

[icecoolguy22]

If Ferriera hs to play CB, and Hilario in Goal, then we are definitely stuffed. I really hope some of our players (especially those over 30) retire from International football, every international break is f** us up. A dangerous game for us, especially if we are missing some strong personnel in the backline.

[ethicalstrategy]

If Mancienne can't get a game even when we have 3 centre halves injured then he may just as well move to another club right now!

[byatt]

We're expected to have Ash, JT, Alex, Joe, Anelka and Deco back for the game at the weekend, but i wouldn't count on it given our recent luck with injuries, i'd think its likely to be more or less the same line-up from the Villa game provided we pick up no further niggles in tonights internationals

[Chelsea FC Champions]

CECH TO MISS OUT

Posted on: Wed 15 Oct 2008

Goalkeeper Petr Cech will miss tonight's World Cup qualifier with Slovenia due to a thigh injury.

The Czech stopper sustained the injury during Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Poland, and after stretching this morning was deemed unfit to play.

A Czech team spokesman said: 'Today's morning stretching showed that the thigh injury limits Petr so much that he could not give a 100 percent performance.'

Cech is due to report at Cobham on Thursday, where his injury will be monitored by the Chelsea medical team.

The 26-year-old has been an ever-present for the Blues so far this season.

source

Premier League - Cech doubt for Boro clash

Eurosport - Wed, 15 Oct 15:18:00 2008

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is a doubt for the Premier League match against Middlesbrough after he was ruled out of the Czech Republic's World Cup Group 3 qualifier at home to Slovenia.

"Today's morning stretching showed that the thigh injury limits Petr so much that he could not give a 100 per cent performance," national team coach Petr Rada said on the Czech FA's website.

Cech was injured in the qualifier in Poland which the Czech Republic lost 2-1.

Carlo Cudicini is on standby in case Cech does not make the clash at the Riverside.

[mad_mac]

Bosingwa also failed to feature in Portugal's match today!

[mad_mac]

went with

.....................Carlo

Paulo....Ivanovic..Terry....Bridge

...................Juliano

........Lampard.......Mikel

Kalou.........................Malouda

..................Anelka

Pretty much a bare bones squad. Think we may only see Anelka for the first half. Also think Terry will start, so the back 4 picks itself. I could see Belletti at LB and Paulo as CB with Ivanovic in the DM position, although it's unlikely. THink Ballack and Joey will make a run out form the bench

[ozboy]

Few of the apparently injured guys may make miraculous recovery. Boswinga is a worry, his pace down the right has been important this season.

[Mr Chelsea]

we should beat boro easily even with half the squad on crutches

[dkw]

can i just ask how the hell the fa think its fair to make chelsea, a team full of players who played internationals this wedenesday, should play lunch time saturday? we wont get the majority of our players back until this afternoon, hardly good preperation for a premiership game. ridiculous.

[Gem]

TeamTalk are saying Michael Mancienne may get a shock debut... who knows, but Bosingwa and Cech are a huge loss, especially if Carlo isn't available (although Hilario has never done himself any harm).

[Valerie]

can i just ask how the hell the fa think its fair to make chelsea, a team full of players who played internationals this wedenesday, should play lunch time saturday? we wont get the majority of our players back until this afternoon, hardly good preperation for a premiership game. ridiculous.

You were expecting consideration for Chelsea from the FA? Oh, you're so cute ;)

[mad_mac]

Man, if we play a team of this:

.......................Hilario

Paulo......Mancienne.....Ivanovic...Bridge

.......................Balletti

............Lampard........Mikel

Kalou..................................Malouda

........................Di Santo

Who the hell is our bench?

[loz]

Latest is that Ballack is out for 3 weeks but JT is fit to play.

[Alan]

Just thought I'd mention that if Lampard plays tomorrow he'll be making his 380th appearance for Chelsea, which would take him level with Peter Osgood and up to 10th in the club's all time list of appearances:

Official Site

[sweet waffle]

I've got a bad feeling about this game, considering our injuries (according to PhysioRoom.com it's 11 players) and recent record at Boro a draw wouldn't be a bad result.

[Chelsea FC Champions]

CHELSEA TV EXCLUSIVE: MEDICAL REPORT

Posted on: Fri 17 Oct 2008

It's been a busy time for Chelsea club doctor Bryan English and his staff as a long list of players have reported injury problems during the past month.

English has given Chelsea TV a bulletin on the various recoveries, beginning with Michael Ballack who Felipe Scolari reported today (Friday) will be out for two-to-three weeks.

'I had a call from the German medical team saying Michael Ballack had been playing on Wednesday in quite severe pain down towards the third and fourth toes in his right foot,' English said.

'They scanned him the following morning and he has an enlarged nerve in that area which is something that can develop over many weeks and months and suddenly it started giving him pain.

'It is something that if it doesn't give you pain, you leave it alone, but if it gives pain, there is a 20 per cent chance of solving it with injection treatment, but we have taken the option to go for surgery.

'He had surgery this morning, a successful procedure, and it will be about two weeks before he is back in training.

'Alex had an issue with his hip, inflammation of the joint that stopped him going on the international break, but he is back training and I believe he is in the party that has gone up to Middlesbrough.

'Riccy Carvalho is back in full training now after an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his knee. Normally it's about four weeks to get back and in three-and-a-half weeks we had him back in training, so we are pleased.

'John Terry missed the England games. He is not injury-prone like some people make out he is. The majority of John's injuries have been traumatically-induced because he puts himself where no-one else will do.

'The back issue is just the inflammation of a joint that has taken a while to calm down.

'Deco had a little tear in one of the muscles at the side of the hip and it took a little while to resolve that issue and it slightly flared-up an issue in the groin that had given him trouble when he was at Barcelona.

'We are pleased to report that he has been back in training for three or fours days and I saw a smile on his face for the first time in about three weeks because of how well training went today.

'Joe Cole had an awkward external rotation twist to the ankle joint that always causes more problems than the classic example when someone goes over on their ankle. The swelling has gone down and he is performing very well in the pool but still has pain on certain movements.

'Ashley Cole has sustained about a five centimetre tear to the hamstring so not insignificant. It is unusual for him because he is an extremely fit player when it comes to muscle injuries over the years.

'It is rare for him to suffer this kind of problem, however he has had one or two very minor back issues over the last months so we have got time to address those issues as well. We will aim to have him back for the Liverpool game.

'José Bosingwa missed the last game for Portugal. He had an awkward twist in training on Tuesday. It is a little joint on the side of the knee that has given him a little bit of pain but he trained today so I assume everything is okay.

'Petr Cech we have scanned and there is no tear in the hamstring which we are pleased to see but he still has a little pain in the thigh. So we're treating a joint in the back.

'Nicolas Anelka had a bit of pain in the back of the thigh. The French national team did a scan of him and that was found to be normal but the pain was still there. He has trained with us since he came back. He says he feels okay.

'Didier Drogba as you can see from the video had a very nasty twist to both his knee and ankle. His knee has settled down but in the ankle there are still one or two issues that are now giving him less of a problem to the degree that he is running around on the grass and getting back into training one-on-one with the rehab physios.

'Hopefully it is not too many more days until he can work with the fitness coach and start to rejoin the squad.'

[clubhappy]

Hate Boro away , even more now that were crippled with injuries . F**k