Yury Zhirkov considers leaving Chelsea

22 February 2011 14:55
Yury Zhirkov admits he might have to leave Chelsea to secure first-team football.[LNB]The versatile Russian was enjoying his best run in Carlo Ancelotti's team before being struck by a hard-to-solve achilles problem in November.[LNB]His debut season at Stamford Bridge was plagued by injuries to both knees following an ?18million move from CSKA Moscow in 2008, but he is now fully fit after seeing specialists in Germany.[LNB] Bench-warmer: Zhirkov will fight for his place but may leave the London club[LNB] Zenit St Petersburg would be prepared to take the 27-year-old back home before the Russian transfer window closes in March, but Zhirkov is reluctant to consider a move before trying to get his Chelsea career back on track.[LNB]'Right now my main goal is to return to the Chelsea team,' he told Russian newspaper Sport-Express.[LNB]'If that's possible it will end all questions about my future. [LNB]'However, if I don't get a game before the summer, then I really will have to think seriously about the future.'[LNB]Chelsea allowed Zhirkov to seek his own treatment in Germany last month after little progress in treating his achilles inury and specialists discovered the problem actually lay in his hip.[LNB] We can still win it! Zhirkov believes Chelsea can retain the Premier League title[LNB] 'After a special massage and personalised excercises the pain, thank God, is gone.'[LNB]And while Chelsea have slipped down the table in his absence, Zhirkov is not ready to write off Chelsea's chances of retaining the Barclays Premier League title.[LNB]'I do not think we have already lost the championship,' he said, despite Chelsea standing fifth and 12 points behind Manchester United with a dozen games to play. [LNB]'Yes, the gap to the leaders is large, but if we win one or two games our old self-confidence will return, and with it the points. As for the Champions League, then it was always among our top goals.'[LNB]  Under-fire Carlo insists Chelsea can taste Champions League gloryMourinho hints at shock Chelsea return with Ancelotti under pressureMartin Samuel: Ancelotti should not entertain rule by Abramovich All the latest Chelsea news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB]  Explore more:Places: Germany

Source: Daily_Mail