Carlo Ancelotti has denied it would be a gamble to pair Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba in Chelsea’s must-win game against Tottenham.<\/p>\n
Blues boss Ancelotti has spent this week attempting to devise a way of getting both of his star strikers into his starting line-up, despite their failure to forge an understanding since Torres’ \u00a350million transfer from Liverpool.<\/p>\n
The duo have started just three of 14 possible matches together and Ancelotti appeared to abandon their partnership earlier this month when he reverted from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 formation, a move which has coincided with Chelsea rediscovering their best form and has been backed by more than one player.<\/p>\n
With the champions needing to beat Spurs to keep alive their slim hopes of retaining the title – something which could also save Ancelotti’s job – any significant changes to personnel and tactics would appear to represent an unnecessary risk.<\/p>\n
But Ancelotti was adamant it was worth trying to get Torres working with Drogba after watching the Spain star finally end his long goal drought against West Ham on Saturday.<\/p>\n
“When you have very good players, you’ve have to try to put them together,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Maybe they can sacrifice something of their ability, of their skills, but they can play together.<\/p>\n
“If you are able to do this, I think it is good for the team, to get good results.<\/p>\n
“Obviously, it’s too early to take a decision about this because we have another training session on Friday.<\/p>\n
“But I think it will not be a surprise if they can start on Saturday together.”<\/p>\n
Asked how it had gone in training between the two of them, Ancelotti joked: “Ah, disaster! If they didn’t train well, obviously I’m not here to mention this!<\/p>\n
“Seriously, they trained well. They tried to have a good combination together.”<\/p>\n
Insisting their teamwork had improved, Ancelotti confirmed he would revert to a 4-4-2 if he opted to play both on Saturday.<\/p>\n
“The best solution would be to play 4-4-2 if they play together,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I think that we don’t have a problem to play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3.<\/p>\n
“The result doesn’t depend on the shape that you use.<\/p>\n
“The result depends on the motivation that the players have, on the spirit that the players use on the pitch during the game.”<\/p>\n
Ancelotti’s players might not agree and he revealed he would take into account any objections they had but warned the final decision lay with him.<\/p>\n
“I’m not a dictator,” he said.<\/p>\n
“If they want to have an opinion, they can speak, obviously.”<\/p>\n
He added: “Maybe sometimes I ask the players if they are comfortable to play 4-3-3 or 4-4-2.”<\/p>\n
Ancelotti reported a clean bill of health for Saturday’s game, despite there having been real concerns over the fitness of midfielders Michael Essien and Ramires.<\/p>\n
Neither was able to train with the first team for the first half of the week but their manager said: “Now they are ready, they are fit.”<\/p>\n
Chelsea’s hopes of overhauling Manchester United’s six-point lead in the title race appeared to suffer a setback this week after Sir Alex Ferguson’s men won the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Schalke 2-0.<\/p>\n
That gives United an opportunity to rest players for next week’s second leg ahead of their Old Trafford clash with Ancelotti’s men.<\/p>\n
But the Chelsea boss welcomed their likely progress to the Wembley final and insisted he would prefer to face them when they are at full strength.<\/p>\n
He said of Tuesday’s game: “I was happy because I think the result was right.<\/p>\n
“Manchester played a fantastic game. They deserved to win.”<\/p>\n
He added: “I would like to play against the best team, Man United, and we are able to win and we deserve to win.<\/p>\n
“I hope that Manchester will reach the final and they will play against us with the best team.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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