Source: Daily_Mail
Carlo Ancelotti holding a thin blue line at Chelsea as he insists kids add strength to squad
This time Carlo Ancelotti rejected the invitation to name his team, just as he rejected the idea that his Chelsea squad are not quite as strong as he might like them to be.[LNB]They should still be more than strong enough to see off Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday night, even in the absence of the suspended Didier Drogba and the injured Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and Yossi Benayoun, but they certainly looked a bit thin at Manchester City on Saturday. [LNB] You're not getting past me: John Mikel Obi holds off young Josh McEachran in training[LNB]While Roberto Mancini turned to Adam Johnson, Emmanuel Adebayor and Jerome Boateng as the match progressed at Eastlands, the manager of the club formerly considered the richest in the world sent on Yuri Zhirkov, Daniel Sturridge and 17-year-old Joshua McEachran in what proved a fruitless search for an equaliser.[LNB]MEET CHELSEA'S NEW BOY WONDER Josh McEachran, the 17-year-oldEnglishman trying to establish himself among Chelsea's team of stars, will be on the substitutes' bench again tonight after coming on in three of the last fourmatches. The left-footed midfielder, whose style is similar to Arsenal's equally prodigious 18-year-old, Jack Wilshere, has been with Chelsea since he was eight. From Oxford, he was a key member of the team who won the FA Youth Cup last season for the first time in 49 years. He then shone as England's Under 17s won the European Championships this summer. 'I am a quite a quiet boy but on the pitch I think I am quite confident and know what I am doing,' he says. [LNB]Ancelotti was quick to highlight that, not so long ago, his team were being accused of being too old. [LNB]'It's a very good moment,' said the Chelsea manager, clearly delighted to have caught out his inquisitors. 'Some people say the squad are young and have no experience. Others say I have all old players. It's a difficult job for me. [LNB]'In my opinion we have a good mix - young players who are improving and others with experience. I don't think a player is old at 30. They have experience enough to play a fantastic game.' [LNB]But the absence of three or four key players does leave the English champions a little more vulnerable than usual. The mere fact that Ancelotti might have to start with Sturridge or Gael Kakuta to the right of Nicolas Anelka tonight is evidence of that. Right now he could use someone of the quality of Fernando Torres, who was at the top of his summer wish list. [LNB]Not that Ancelotti was in any mood to complain yesterday at the club's wonderful training ground. Just as he knows that would succeed only in antagonising Roman Abramovich, who rightly feels he has spent enough for now after investing more than £700million in his club, he also knows it serves no purpose to bemoan the quality of the players he has. He might even believe what he says when he suggests Kakuta is better than the aforementioned Johnson. [LNB]'This is an opinion,' he said in response to the suggestion that his bench was rather inadequate compared to Mancini's at the weekend. 'I think Kakuta is a fantastic player, maybe better than Adam Johnson - it depends on your point of view.' [LNB]Happy talk: Carlo Ancelotti insisted to the media that he is happy with the strength of his squad at Stamford Bridge[LNB]After the trouble they went through to get him, Kakuta must be good. But there is a sense this season that, while few would disagree Chelsea probably have the strongest side in the Barclays Premier League and remain among the best in Europe, they could run into a bit of trouble if they have more injury problems as the season progresses. [LNB]There is less quality in defence now that Ricardo Carvalho has left, while they could yet regret the departure of Joe Cole even if they have brought in Benayoun and Ramires. Cole proved himself a key figure in the Abramovich success story until he moved to Liverpool. [LNB]Understandably, Ancelotti considered such talk something of an overreaction yesterday, especially as his side remain three points clear at the summit of the Premier League despite a narrow defeat to City. [LNB]'I have a lot of options,' said Ancelotti. 'You have to consider that Sturridge and Kakuta are Chelsea players. So is McEachran. We have options and it's normal to have two or three injuries in a season. It's not a problem. [LNB]VIDEO: Ancelotti on Marseille test...'On Saturday the problem was not the skill of the players who went on.From the beginning we were not able to change the game and we were notable to change the game with the substitutions either.[LNB]'Experience is a good thing and it is important to have experience as a squad. Obviously the young players need to have experience, too. But these young players are ready to play in the Champions League.' [LNB]As Ancelotti confirmed yesterday, Lampard will miss tonight's match, Sunday's game against Arsenal and England's clash against Montenegro that follows. [LNB]'We need to have more time than expected for his rest,' said Ancelotti. 'In a few days there will be an international break and he will be ready for the game after that. He didn't play with us so I think he's not able to play for the international team.' [LNB]Judging by Saturday, Chelsea have missed Lampard more than England. But there was good news for them yesterday when Drogba suggested to French TV he would be keen to finish his career at the club. [LNB]'When I signed my new contract at Chelsea I said I wanted to finish my career here,' he said. [LNB]Sadly for Chelsea, he will not be in a position to finish against his former club tonight in a difficult-looking game.[LNB]Marseille started the competition by losing at home to Spartak Moscow but Didier Deschamps has hurt his old club before since moving into management and he needs to be respected. His Monaco side's defeat of Chelsea in a Champions League semi-final six years ago marked the end for Claudio Ranieri.[LNB]Ancelotti said: 'I had Deschamps as a player for six months at Juventus and we enjoyed a good relationship. Since then he has done well as a manager, taking Monaco to a Champions League final and Marseille to the French title.' [LNB]That said, Chelsea should win this evening even if their resources do seem a touch stretched.[LNB] Calling on the big guns: John Terry thought a gun might do the trick after two drawn games of scissor, stone, paper against Yuri Zhirkov[LNB] [LNB] OUT! Chelsea and England rocked as Lampard is sidelined for two weeksJamie Redknapp: Chelsea kid Josh McEachran can be next big thingDrogba hauled off by Ancelotti but Chelsea had no one to replace himCHELSEA FC
