Carling Cup: QPR Preview - Welcome Back Joey
COME ON CHELSEA
By Since66
September 23 2009
Joey Cole, out since January with cruciate ligament damage, is expected to line-up for a much changed Chelsea side against Championship neighbours QPR at Stamford Bridge tonight in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup. Also expected to start is £18m man Yury Zhirkov. Paulo Ferriera could also return at right-back.
Didier Drogba is out through severe cramp received after his exertions against Tottingham on Sunday. Nicolas Anelka, Jose Bosingwa, Ricardo Carvalho are expected to be rested although they may feature on the bench as a Plan B, should Plan A go wrong.
Three more players who cannot be considered for tonight are Deco, Alex and Danny Sturridge. Sturridge "unfortunately picked up a slight calf problem," conceded Ray Wilkins during his pre-match press conference.
The talk of the press conference was about the returning Joe Cole.
Wilkins said, "I think the important thing with Joe is that he has had a few problems with his knees over the couple of years, and with the reconstruction now his knee is far better prepared for football that it has been. He is a much stronger, fitter footballer now, and we are looking forward to him getting back into the swing of things. He has worked so hard and it will be lovely to see him out there.
"He does offer us that bit of fantasy, he can go left or right, plays a pass and his work ethic is quite special as well so he will give us something different.
The last time the two clubs met was in the FA Cup in January 2008 at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea won 1-0 and QPR was backed by over 6,000 fans in The Shed End. Expect the same level of support again tonight.
It was way back in 1986 that the two teams clashed in the League Cup. QPR won at The Bridge 2-0.
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TEAM NEWS: CHELSEA V QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Posted on: Wed 23 Sep 2009
Yury Zhirkov, Sam Hutchinson and Fabio Borini all make full debuts.
Zhirkov will play left-back in a defence that sees Paulo Ferreira return from injury on the right with 20-year-old Hutchinson alongside Branislav Ivanovic in the centre.
Joe Cole is captain for the night and will be at the front of an experienced midfield diamond while up front Borini partners Salomon Kalou.
New signing Nemanja Matic is on the bench, the 21-year-old midfielder having overcome injury that has delayed his introduction, and 17-year-old defender Jeffrey Bruma is also among the subs. There are three England internationals on the bench if needed.
QPR make two changes from their win against Cardiff at the weekend. In goal Tom Heaton replaces Radek Cerny and Alejandro Faurlin will play in midfield with Ben Watson not involved.
Chelsea will line up in a 4-1-2-1-2 formation as follows:
40 Hilario
19 Paulo Ferreira
2 Branislav Ivanovic
41 Sam Hutchinson
18 Yury Zhirkov
12 John Mikel Obi
35 Juliano Belletti
15 Florent Malouda
10 Joe Cole (c)
45 Fabio Borini
21 Salomon Kalou
Substitutes: 22 Ross Turnbull, 41 Jeffrey Bruma, 26 John Terry, 3 Ashley Cole, 24 Nemanja Matic, 5 Michael Essien, 8 Frank Lampard.
QPR are expected to line up in the following 4-4-2 formation:
Heaton; Borrowdale, Gorkss, Stewart, Leigertwood; Routledge, Rowlands (c), Faurlin, Buzsaky; Simpson, Vine.
Substitutes: Cerny, Ramage, Mahon, Pellicori, Taarabt, Agyemang, Ephram.
The referee is Mike Jones.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.