Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Tuesday 28 September
Kick-off: 1945 BST
OTHER DUG OUT
Didier Deschamps spent a season at Chelsea after signing for £3m from Juve. He won the FA Cup with us and scored for us in the Champions League against Hertha Berlin. After Avram Grant left the club, Deschamps fancied the job, claiming “it would be hard to refuse Chelsea.” He can brag of taking Monaco to the Champions League final in 2004, only to lose to Jose Mourinho’s Porto, as well as bringing Juve back up in to Serie A. He’s been at Marseille for just one season, winning the league with Marseille for their first time since ’92.
MANAGERS VIEW
Carlo Ancelotti: “I haven’t asked the players for a reaction. We just have to play our football,” said Ancelotti. “We have to pay attention and get the points from this game. It is an important game for us to go to the top of the group. Marseille are a good team, with good organization. They use attacking play and they are quick. My players will know everything about the opponent but the most important thing is our play. If we play our best, we will win.”
Didier Deschamps: “Chelsea have had a good start to the season but they have not played many sides from the upper echelons of the league,” said Deschamps. “I did watch the game against Manchester City, who did a lot of good things that hopefully we can repeat. We need to close the space down and impose ourselves physically. These kind of games are settled in the finer details and let us hope it is settled in our favour.”
SQUAD NEWS
Frank Lampard (hernia) and Yossi Benayoun (calf) are still out but Ashley Cole returns after being rested for the 4-1 win over MSK Zilina. Forward Salomon Kalou has a thigh problem, Didier Drogba is suspended but Gael Kakuta (back) is fit.
Marseille defender Souleymane Diawara should play after he returned from injury against Sochaux at the weekend.
CHELSEA TEAM
From: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Essien, Anelka, Borini, Kakuta, Malouda, Ferriera, Bruma, Zhirkov, Sturridge, Turnbull, Van Aanholt, McEachran.
Blue is the colour
