Carlo Ancelotti to Present Strong Squad Against Ipswich Town
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been ruled out of the Premier League title race, currently sitting at 5th in the table, nine points off the top and having played a game more than the league leaders, Manchester United. Despite
that, the Italian manager has been reassured by the Blues owner Roman Abramovich that his position is secure. Ancelotti revealed he had the support and backing of Abramovich and would be surprised if he was sacked anytime soon.
The upcoming FA Cup third round fixture against Ipswich town could be crucial in determining whether Ancelotti will stay at Stamford Bridge or not. His future at the club could now very well be decided depending on each result
and for that matter, the upcoming match is so important Ancelotti has decided to play his first team. Under normal circumstances, this would have been an opportunity to rest the first time after a chaotic Christmas period; however, Ancelotti has decided not
to take that risk.
The Italian will be keeping an eye on some of his top players who are suffering from minor injuries and will decide on Saturday as to who is fit enough to feature on Sunday. Among the players to face the late fitness test are striker
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ashley-Cole-c6809. Ancelotti will have to decide whether he will risk featuring the above mentioned players before their recovery or rest them and face Ipswich without a strong squad.
Meanwhile, Ivoirian striker Didier Drogba has had a tough season, battling malaria and trying to maintain a consistent performance. He had a tough time over the Christmas period, even making an early return when he had not completely
recovered from his illness to help his side when they were faltering. That too did not help much since Drogba was not at to his best and it is a fact that the other http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 strikers have proved useless so far.
Similarly, Ashley Cole and Michael Essien are equally important. They are the best possible options in their respective positions. Their absence could prove fatal for Chelsea even against a lowly Championship side like Ipswich
Town. The former AC Milan boss is flustered by his lack of options, inability to rotate the squad and will have to feature his full strength squad on a occasion where he would have preferred to give the younger players an opportunity to feature.
Whether Drogba is declared fit or not it, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Daniel-Sturridge-c10076 is expected to start on Sunday, with the striker finding the back of the net an impressive five times in a reserve match in mid-week. However, there will be no opening
for young players like Josh McEachran against Ipswich tomorrow. Ancelotti said, “It’s difficult at this moment when things are not so good to give McEachran at 17 the key to manage the play of the team. Essien has experience and personality.”
It remains to be seen if the tired experienced players are better than the fresh inexperienced ones. In their latest Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ancelotti’s choice proved to be wrong. There was no other
explanation for their poor performance other than the fact that they were tired. This time around, Ancelotti will be hoping he gets it right and is not embarrassed by Ipswich Town.
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