Anelka blow leaves Ancelotti facing life without his top three Chelsea forwards

23 December 2009 16:21
Nicolas Anelka will sit out Chelsea's matches against Birmingham and Fulham - leaving boss Carlo Ancelotti without his top three strikers for the London derby.[LNB]The France international is sidelined with a calf injury and while Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are likely to make the trip to St Andrew's on Boxing Day, the pair will join up with the Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations 24 hours later.[LNB]Fulham make the short trip to Stamford Bridge on December 28 but the earliest Anelka is expected to return is the FA Cup tie against Watford on January 3.[LNB] Big miss: Anelka (right) has been in fine form for Chelsea this season[LNB]Doubts over the 30-year-old's fitness could accelerate moves to sign Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid or Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko. [LNB]Experienced Italy international Luca Toni, 32, could be a short-termsolution and he is available on a free transfer from Bayern Munich thiswinter, but Ancelotti insists he has faith in his squad.[LNB]'No, I'm not changing my mind,' insisted Ancelotti. 'I didn't ask (owner) Roman (Abramovich) for new players and he has not asked me if I want them.[LNB]'I have a lot of confidence in my strikers. Not only Drogba, not only Kalou, not only Anelka. Also (Daniel) Sturridge and (Fabio) Borini.[LNB] Admired: Chelsea are among the teams tracking Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko [LNB][LNB]'Against Fulham, maybe we'll only have Sturridge and Borini. But inJanuary we'll have Anelka and, in January, he'll be ready to play.'[LNB]Highly rated: Fabio Borini[LNB]Midfielders Michael Essien and John Mikel Obi are also set forAfrica Cup of Nations duty, but Ancelotti reiterated: 'I didn't ask fornew players. I think that we have good solutions internally. Even if welose the African players. [LNB]'If you have new players, maybe it's a problem in February or March. We don't need them in this moment, to have new players.[LNB]'Anelka has a little injury, a muscle problem. It's a small problem but he's not ready to play in these games.[LNB]'We will still have 11 against Fulham. Sturridge has an opportunityto show his qualities. He played against West Ham very well in thatsecond half and, maybe, against Birmingham he can play from thebeginning.'[LNB]Ancelotti is so confident, he will not even recall striker Franco di Santo from his loan spell at Blackburn.[LNB]  Mourinho's mind games won't work on us, says Chelsea midfielder BallackTerry's judgment already in question, now he says Ballack is world's No 2!David Villa gives Manchester United and Chelsea green light to take him to the Premier LeagueChelsea defender Ivanovic is turning heads at Spanish giants Real MadridCHELSEA FC

Source: Daily_Mail