Ancelotti: Perfect moment for United meeting
Reuters - Friday 06 November 2009, 15:43
COBHAM - Chelsea face title rivals
Manchester United at the perfect time on Sunday because the
London side are fit, playing well and full of confidence, coach
Carlo Ancelotti said.
Chelsea, two points ahead of the champions at the top of the
table, have scored 19 goals and conceded only two in their last
five games, both of those by Sergio Aguero - a possible Chelsea
transfer target - in Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw at
Atletico Madrid.
The club received a boost on Friday with news that they had
been cleared to sign new players in the January transfer window
after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) suspended a ban
imposed by world body FIFA who found them guilty of inducing
young Lens striker Gael Kakuta to break his contract.
But Ancelotti hinted after Friday's training that the club
would only spend if his squad suffered significant injury.
After trotting out the usual cliches that the Manchester
United match involved only three points like any other,
Ancelotti said: "We are happy to play this game at this moment
because we are playing very well, we are in good condition and
we have a very good mental attitude just now."
Chelsea have only one player injured, defender Jose
Bosingwa. Ancelotti said the decision about whether the Portugal
back would need an operation on a knee injury would be made in
the next few days.
The Italian coach, who has experience of both winning and
losing against Ferguson's United while at AC Milan, said United
could also be confident: "United have a very good team. Like us
they are doing well because they have qualified in the Champions
League and are doing well in the Premiership.
"But everybody is vulnerable and there are no invincible
teams," he added. United have not won at Stamford Bridge since
2002.
Ancelotti said now was not the time to be thinking about
signing players despite the CAS appeal decision.
"We have this possibility now but we have time. We don't
want to make a decision at this moment. I am very happy about
this squad, these players," he said.
Chelsea will lose several leading players, including in-form
striker Didier Drogba and midfielders Michael Essien and John
Obi Mikel for several weeks in January because of the African
Nations Cup.
"But if we maintain players all fit I think we can manage a
good period also without the African players," Ancelotti said.
Chelsea's scouts have been busy in recent weeks, however,
and the club has been linked strongly in the British media with
Aguero.
The Italian added that United were not Chelsea's only
realistic rivals for the title. Liverpool, he suggested, were
probably out of the race but Arsenal looked dangerous, he said.