Business as usual against Arsenal for mourning Ancelotti
The death of Carlo Ancelotti`s father has cast a shadow over training but Chelsea and their Italian manager will be raring to go for Sunday`s clash with Arsenal, according to assistant Ray Wilkins.
|Last Updated: Oct 01, 2010, 06:23 PM IST|Source: Bureau
London: The death of Carlo Ancelotti`s father has cast a shadow over training but Chelsea and their Italian manager will be raring to go for Sunday`s clash with Arsenal, according to assistant Ray Wilkins.
The number two told reporters at the champions` rainswept training ground on Friday that he expected Ancelotti to be pacing the touchline as ever at Stamford Bridge despite 87-year-old Giuseppe`s death on Wednesday.
The Italian will fly back to England after the funeral on Saturday and will select the team for a derby that promises to be another tough test for the Premier League leaders after losing to Manchester City last week.
"The players were down yesterday, to be honest," said Wilkins.
"They`ve got a fantastic rapport with Carlo and they were saddened by the news. So yesterday`s session was not as bright as it might have been."
"But Carlo is back on Saturday. He will join us in the hotel on Saturday night and will be on the touchline on Sunday.”
Wilkins agreed that Ancelotti could come back on Saturday night and feel that he was not in the right state of mind for the occasion but the former England international doubted that would happen somehow.
"He absolutely loves football, it`s his passion so he will want to be on that touchline on Sunday.”
"It`s always a big game against Arsenal," added Wilkins, praising the North Londoners` passing and movement as probably the best in the league. "We enjoy these games and the players enjoy them immensely."
Chelsea won their opening five league games, scoring 21 goals and letting in just one, but stumbled in their first big obstacle at City, a club whose Abu Dhabi owners have even deeper pockets than their own billionaire Roman Abramovich.
Arsenal also lost at home to West Bromwich Albion but both they and Chelsea have been revived by strong performances in midweek Champions League games.
Chelsea will again be without injured England midfielder Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou up front but Didier Drogba will be looking to continue his impressive record against the Gunners.
"In big games he always comes to the fore," said Wilkins. "Hopefully it will be no different on Sunday.”
"He scores against everybody because he is a world-class footballer," added the number two. "The spotlight is on us on Sunday and he will certainly rise to the occasion."
Wilkins said Lampard had recovered from recent hernia surgery but picked up a slight groin strain while resuming training.
"It has given him a little problem neither he nor we anticipated," he said. "He joined us for part of a training session and didn`t feel comfortable and it is important we get it right for Frank and for us.”
It`s important he is fully ready to play at the top-level again."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.