Chelsea linked with Russia's Yuri Zhirkov

The Starreports that new manager Guus Hiddink has urged owner Roman Abramovich to sign the CSKA Moscow player, who is expected to be available for around £15 million. Zhirkov has impressed Russia manager Hiddink, who said after Euro 2008: 'Zhirkov plays a very modern game – he's capable of covering all the left side of the pitch. 'A player can only do this if he has brilliant technical skills and physical condition. He's a top-class footballer.' Zhirkov has also been linked with Juventus, but Abramovich's links with CSKA president Yengeni Giner make Chelsea his most likely destination, according to the Star. Meanwhile, Chelsea's midfield could be boosted before the summer with the return from injury of Michael Essien. Essien played just two matches for Chelsea – against Wigan and Tottenham – before undergoing knee surgery, robbing the club of one of their most powerful performers. The speed of his rehabilitation means Essien could return for fixtures against Manchester City and Tottenham next month. And should Chelsea negotiate their Champions League last 16 tie against Juventus, he would surely figure in the quarter finals in early April. "According to rehabilitation physio Thierry Laurent, it should not take more than one month for me to play actively again," Essien said. "He has assured me that once we go through a few other exercises for two or three weeks, I should be fit enough to return to the pitch."

Source: Telegraph