Date: 13 December 2006
Venue: Stamford Bridge
KO Time: 1945 GMT
CUDICINI REMAINS DOUBTFUL
Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini remains doubtful for ChelseaÂ’s clash with Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night
Cudicini missed the 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday because of a leg muscle injury and if he fails to recover in time Hilario will continue in goal.
Joe Cole is out for a month with a broken foot but coach Jose Mourinho has no other major injury worries.
Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt has given manager Glenn Roeder a boost by shaking off a virus ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge.
Forward Antoine Sibierski should also be fit after his hamstring problem at Blackburn Rovers at the weekend proved to be cramp, while Kieron Dyer (thigh) and Scott Parker (back muscle) could be fit for the clash with Watford on Saturday.
However, Emre (ankle) and Nolberto Solano (groin) have joined Michael Owen, Damien Duff and Tim Krul (all knee), Shola Ameobi and Olivier Bernard (both hip), Craig Moore (hamstring), Titus Bramble (calf), Stephen Carr (foot) and Steve Harper (groin) on the injury list.
i just dont see newcastle beating chelsea.
chelsea will narrowly only
CHELSEA v NEWCASTLE UNITED, 1-0 Wed 13 Dec 2006
Top scorer Didier Drogba climbed off the substitutes' bench to fire the matchwinner and cut Manchester United's lead to five points at the top of the Barclays Premiership.
Drogba, left out of coach Jose MourinhoÂ’s starting line-up in a bid to rest a niggling hamstring injury, was forced into action at the interval after Chelsea had failed to break down NewcastleÂ’s injury-hit side.
The move paid off for the champions in the 74th minute when Drogba pounced for his 15th goal of the season, and his ninth in the league, to take their unbeaten home sequence to 53 games.
It was an unfamiliar Chelsea line-up that had been given the task of overcoming a Newcastle side missing 12 first-team players through injury.
Andriy Shevchenko, Drogba and Claude Makelele were all forced to sit in the dugout behind coach Mourinho while Shaun Wright-Phillips, Salomon Kalou and Arjen Robben were charged with the task of taking the game to the Geordies.
MourinhoÂ’s decision appeared to be vindicated when Wright-Phillips just failed to convert a flick-on from Kalou inside the first three minutes.
Two minutes later a mazy run from Ivorian forward Kalou provided Frank Lampard with a shooting opportunity on the edge of the penalty area but the England midfielder failed to hit the target.
MourinhoÂ’s decision to switch from the midfield diamond to a 4-3-3 formation was clearly causing United some early consternation.
That was underlined yet further in the 11th minute when a smart move involving Michael Essien and Robben gave Kalou a clear shot on goal from 10 yards, but again the accuracy was found wanting.
But it was Newcastle who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 16th minute when Antoine Sibierski hit the crossbar with a header from six yards after James MilnerÂ’s corner had eluded the home defence.
The offside flag spared the blushes of the young Kalou on the half-hour when he got on the end of RobbenÂ’s headed knock-down only to turn and fire over the crossbar from six yards.
But United were still a danger and Giuseppe Rossi emphasised the fact in the 34th minute when he sent a 25-yard drive flashing wide of HilarioÂ’s right-hand upright.
The on-loan Manchester United striker had been relatively quiet by his own standards but his opportunist effort was a warning to Chelsea that he had the necessary firepower to do his parent club a massive favour.
Chelsea were finding NewcastleÂ’s stubborn resistance somewhat frustrating and Mourinho spent much of the half berating his troops from the touchline.
The 4-3-3 formation, which had promised much success earlier in the contest, was clearly hampering the champions.
NewcastleÂ’s rookie side, which included a debutant right-back in Paul Huntington, coped adequately enough with the receding threat from ChelseaÂ’s front three.
Magpies boss Glenn Roeder was already without a dozen first-team players through injury when his squad was depleted yet further minutes before the break.
Charles NÂ’Zogbia had to be stretchered off after a collision with Lampard and was replaced by another youngster in Matty Pattison.
Mourinho was obviously unimpressed with the contribution of Wright-Phillips as he was replaced at the start of the second half by Drogba, while injured centre-back Ricardo Carvalho gave way to Makelele.
It took Drogba just two minutes to make his presence felt when he headed RobbenÂ’s left-wing cross just wide of Shay GivenÂ’s left-hand upright.
On the hour Robben almost broke the deadlock with a cheeky free-kick after Celestine Babayaro had felled Kalou on the right flank.
With the Newcastle defence expecting a cross into the centre, the Dutch winger curled the ball towards the near post and Given had to act quickly to keep it out.
Chelsea were now powering forward at every opportunity but the Newcastle rearguard refused to buckle under the onslaught. Their cause was helped by wayward shooting from ChelseaÂ’s Michael Ballack, whose 20-yard effort sailed high over the crossbar in the 63rd minute.
Chelsea almost paid for the wastefulness moments later when Essien skied a clearance towards his own goal and Hilario failed to collect it under pressure from Obafemi Martins. Thankfully for the home side, skipper John Terry was on hand to tidy up before Essien completed the clearance.
But Chelsea finally broke the deadlock with an incisive move started by Robben. His pass into the penalty area was helped on by Shevchenko and Drogba pounced to provide the decisive finish.