Branislav Ivanovic returns to Chelsea
training as under-pressure boss Jose Mourinho prepares his side for crunch
Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev
Branislav Ivanovic is ready to hand beleaguered manager Jose
Mourinho a timely boost by returning for Wednesday's crucial Champions
League clash with Dynamo Kiev.
The defender has spent the last three weeks on the sidelines with
a hamstring injury but he trained with his team-mates on Tuesday morning.
Ivanovic has suffered an alarming dip in form this season,
coinciding with the club's poor start.
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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho
walks out for training as he looks to prepare his side for the Champions League
clash with Dynamo Kiev
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Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic (right) looks set for a return
to action after three weeks out with a hamstring injury
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Chelsea vice-captain Ivanovic injured his hamstring during
international duty with Serbia last month
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Under-pressure Blues boss Mourinho talks with club captain John
Terry as the Premier League champions begin training
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Belgian star Eden Hazard (second left) walks out to training with
Diego Costa (left) and Brazilian duo Ramires and Willian (right)
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The 52-year-old manager looks at his watch as he prepares for
another huge game in his second Stamford Bridge spell
Nevertheless, his return to fitness will come as a major fillip
for Mourinho, whose job is under serious threat. Mourinho, with a wry
smirk on his face, led his players out to training as pressure mounts.
He was followed by Cesc Fabregas, who has denied claims he is the
ring-leader in a player revolt against Mourinho.
The BBC claimed this week that it had information of a Chelsea
first-team player who would 'rather lose than win for him' referring to
Mourinho and, on Tuesday, a football blog named Fabregas as the player leading
a revolt against the manager.
'I would like to clarify that contrary to a few reports form some
online websites, I am extremely happy at Chelsea and have an excellent
relationship with the manager,' Fabregas wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
'There maybe certain individuals from the outside trying to destabilise
this club but I strongly believe that we will bounce back and come good
again.'
If Chelsea beat Dynamo...
Things look to start
a little more comfortable. The Blues face group whipping-boys Maccabi on
matchday five and should have a Stamford Bridge showdown with Porto to decide
who tops the group.
If Chelsea draw with Dynamo...
It gets a bit more
difficult. Porto should win away in Tel Aviv which will leave Chelsea
potentially needing maximum points from their last two games to overhaul
Dynamo.
If Chelsea lose against Dynamo...
Nightmare. The Blues will probably be
six and four points behind their main Group G rivals respectively. They would
have to win both remaining games and hope for a favour from Maccabi away in
Kiev. Even that might not be enough.
Remaining fixtures
04/11 Maccabi Tel
Aviv vs Porto
04/11 Chelsea vs Dynamo Kiev
24/11 Porto vs Dynamo
Kiev
24/11 Maccabi Tel
Aviv vs Chelsea
09/12 Dynamo Kiev vs
Maccabi Tel Aviv
09/12 Chelsea vs Porto
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Mourinho, who is fighting to save his job at Chelsea, looks on as
his players are put through their stretch routine
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Blues youngster Bertrand Traore leads a light-hearted drill as
Chelsea training gets under way
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Brazilian duo Oscar (left) and William wear snoods to keep warm
during the session at Chelsea's Cobham training base
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Cesc Fabregas (centre) has denied claims suggesting he's leading a
mini-revolt against Blues manager Mourinho
The midfielder, who was instrumental in Chelsea's domestic double
last season, when they won the League Cup and the Premier League title, was
dropped from the starting line-up for the 3-1 defeat by Liverpool at Stamford
Bridge on Saturday and came on as a substitute in the second half.
Chelsea have lost six of their opening 11 Premier League games and
are 15th in the table, but Mourinho's problems this season have not been
confined to the playing field.
The 52-year-old was handed a one-match stadium ban and fined
£40,000 by the Football Association for comments made to the referee during the
2-1 loss to West Ham United on October 24 and is also currently appealing a
£50,000 fine imposed for criticising referees.
A defeat against Kiev on Wednesday would further ratchet up the
pressure on the Portuguese, who signed a new four-year contract in August.
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Chelsea frontman Costa
looks on as his team-mates are put through a training drill without the Spain
international
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Despite suffering their sixth Premier League defeat last weekend,
the Chelsea players seemed to be enjoying training
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Terry, 34, is first to reach the red markers and looks delighted to
have won the mini-game during training
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Mourinho gestures to the members of his backroom staff, who seemed
to be in a relaxed mood during training
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Chelsea midfielder Pedro (left) was also back in training and is in
contention to start against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday
