Injuries take its toll for both Manchester City and Chelsea as they prepare for a high octane clash in the Premier League
After five emphatic wins from five extremely one-sided matches, Chelsea are the only side in the Premier League that is left with a 100% record but their first true test will come this Friday when they take on Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City.
The Blues suffered a shock exit in the Carling Cup on Wednesday at the hands of Newcastle United and not only did they suffer the humiliation of a loss, they lost three players to injuries as well and had to finish the game with 10 men as Ancelotti had made
all his three allowed substitutions in the game, when Yossi Benayoun fell to the ground with a calf muscle strain.
Apart from the Israeli Gael Kakuta and Solomon Kalou were also injured in the game and now will have to face Manchester City with a depleted squad.
Frank Lampard missed the Cup game after going through a hernia operation, and it was revealed only today that Lampard will be missing the game against the Citizens , as he needs more time recover from the operation.
Although Kalou, Kakuta and Yossi will also be missing from the game but Lampard is the biggest blow to the Londoners, as he has been inspirational in all of Chelsea’s wins this season.
Despite the grim injury situation at the club, midfielder John Obi Mikel feels that City will still have enough firepower to get past the challenge posed to the Premier League’s nouveau riche.
So far Chelsea have beaten West Bromwich Albion, Wigan, Stoke, Blackpool and West ham but the game against City will be a tougher test for the reigning champions as the Eastlanders have ambitions of their own, and if they are to make a statement of intent
in the Premier League a win against Chelsea will go a long way in establishing their credentials in the League.
Manchester City will also be going into the match with some defensive worries as coming Saturday they could only have three defenders to field against the Blues.
After the Wednesday’s Carling Cup defeat against West Brom, Mancini revealed that he his bare to the bones in his defence for the all important clash against Ancelotti’s men.
Unless central defender Micah Richards recovers from his hamstring strain that kept him out of the Carling Cup clash, Mancini will not even have four defenders to field in the game.
Mancini will have to draft a make-shift defender as he will opt to play Pablo Zabaleta on the right flank and look for a cover at the left back position.
The obvious inference is that Mancini either deploys Adam Johnson or James Milner in that position.
Even Gareth Barry is an option for the Italian but the Englishman will be more suited in the role of a central defender.
Whatever option the Italian will choose on Saturday, it surely will face a torrid time against the scintillating Chelsea attack.
Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda have been in red hot form for the Blues and have dismantled each defence in the league that they have come against this season.
Chelsea have only conceded one goal this season and have scored more than 26 in only five games. But Mancini’s men will be hoping to put a spanner in the works of the slick Chelsea Machine and will be looking to inflict a second defeat on Chelsea in as many
games.
Chelsea players believe that that even in the absence of Lampard, the attack will function normally and they the front trio of Malouda, Anelka and Drogba will create just enough opportunities for the Blues to see them through in the game.
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