Nicolas Anelka content with Carlo Ancelotti’s rotation policy at Chelsea

CL, Chelsea and Spartak Moscow, Nicolas Anelka (Getty Images)

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Nicolas Anelka insists he is happy with Carlo Ancelotti’s rotation policy at Chelsea.

The Frenchman is currently vying for a starting place in attack alongside Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and £50 million recruit Fernando Torres but remains adamant he understands the competition for places at Stamford Bridge.

“Personally I am fine,” Anelka told the club’s official website.

“I have been playing football for 16 years now. Sometimes to rest, even to watch your team-mates from the bench, is not too bad. It is part of the game and you try to be fresh when you come on the pitch. This is a big club and we have big players, so it’s like this.

Anelka admits putting in a strong performance may not guarantee a starting place in Chelsea’s next match, but feels that has not affected his own, or his team-mates’ work rate when selected.

“We do our best on the pitch anyway and we know now we have a different tactic with two up front,” he said.

“We are four – Didier Drogba, Torres, Salomon Kalou and me, so we can swap and we know that, even if we have a good game, we may not play in the next game.”

Asked whether he takes umbrage over Ancelotti’s selection policy, Anelka maintains he has developed an understanding of a coach’s mentality when selecting a side but reveals a younger player breaking into the first-team may have difficulty in coming to terms with being dropped.

“No. It is frustrating when you are 20 years old; when you are 32, not any more,” he said.

“Sometimes you are not happy because you want to play but you have to understand it’s part of the game and we have big players.

“When you’re a manager it is even more difficult than playing because you have to keep everybody happy and make choices. I know I won’t be a manager, I don’t want to do it, never.

“You have to make everybody else happy also and, like I said, if you are 20, you don’t understand this rotation but, if you are 32, I won’t say you have nothing to prove but you have the experience to understand.”

Anelka has rested during the international break as he is not involved with the French national side and the 32-year-old is prepared for Chelsea’s season run-in.

“It has been good to rest a little bit. The season is very long and we have a lot of games so it is always good to have a rest.

“Training has been OK, we need to come back slowly because it is always hard after two or three days off, but it has been OK, not too hard, a good level but quieter than normal.

“It is going to be tough. But the schedule is like this and we just have to do it. We have a lot of games but we have a lot of players and we have a strong squad, so we can rotate and it’s good.”