Chelsea captain John Terry may be ruled out for months due to a chronic leg nerve problem. Terry is facing an indefinite spell on the sidelines as doctors work to cure a long-term nerve problem in his right leg.

The news is the latest blow for Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who saw his side beaten 3-0 at home by Sunderland on Sunday. Ancelotti is also dealing with persistent injuries to Frank Lampard and Michael Essien, and is playing Didier Drogba despite a bout of malaria.

Now he faces being without his captain Terry for weeks — maybe even months — as the defender attempts to get to the bottom of an injury that has been troubling him since the end of last season.

Terry said: ‘I have been struggling with a nerve pain coming from the top of my leg down to my hamstring and to the outside of my calf. It started towards the end of last season but with Chelsea being in the mix until the day of the FA Cup final, I didn’t have the chance to rest or pull out of games. Then I went straight to the World Cup with England.

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Manchester United and Manchester City drew their derby match 0 – 0 last night and Michael Essien scored for the Blues to beat Fulham 1 – 0.

Derided by United manager Alex Ferguson as “noisy neighbours”, mega-rich City failed to rattle the 18-times champions but were spared the agony of last season when they lost both league meetings to last-gasp goals.

While City and United huffed and puffed to little effect, champions Chelsea stole a march in the title race as Essien’s first-half goal proved enough to beat Fulham, although the Ghanaian blotted his copybook when he was sent off late on for a two-footed lunge at Clint Dempsey.

Essien was unmarked on the half hour to head in Salomon Kalou’s cross but Chelsea, beaten 2-0 at Liverpool on Sunday, were slapdash in front of goal and failed to kill off their west London rivals who have not won at Stamford Bridge since 1964.

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Chelsea‘s star striker Didier Drogba has contracted malaria according to manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The Ivory Coast striker complained of a fever on the eve of Sunday’s match against Liverpool and only came on as a second-half substitute. Chelsea lost 2-0.

Ancelotti said on Tuesday that Chelsea “found out last night when blood tests showed he had malaria. I don’t know where he got it from.”

Source: sport24.co.za

Fernando Torres fired on all cylinders to see Chelsea slump to their second defeat of the season and lose 2 – 0 to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

The Spaniard was back to his predatory best with two well-taken goals in the first half, inspiring Liverpool to their third successive league win following their dismal start to the season.

Arsenal failed to take advantage of the leaders’ slip, however, as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Newcastle United courtesy of Andy Carroll’s header late in the first half.

Manchester City did gain ground with Italian striker Mario Balotelli scoring both goals in a comfortable 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion before being sent off in the second half.

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Sportwear giants Adidas and English Premier League champions Chelsea have signed an agreement that is allegedly the world’s second-biggest kit deal in club football history. According to UK newspaper The Telegraph, the eight-year contract is worth £160 million, an £8-million-a-season increase on the previous four-year deal and just behind the £300 million Nike is thought to pay Manchester United under a 13-year agreement. “Both organisations are highly ambitious and want to continue in partnership to develop globally and for us, grow in our key market territories across Asia and North America,” said Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay. “The increased value of the deal reaffirms adidas’ belief in the club’s growing status in world football.” (more…)

If Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney decides to leave the Red Devils, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti would be keen to sign him.

Rooney, 24, has been on the front and back pages of many English newspapers after news emerged that he has broken off contract talks at Old Trafford and, with his current deal due to expire at the end of next season, it is claimed United could be ready to cash in.

Sir Alex Ferguson is to face questioning on the subject at his press conference on Tuesday, having refused to field questions during Monday’s conference to promote the relationship between the club and Unicef.

Ancelotti, though, has said that Chelsea would be eager to take advantage of the situation should Rooney decide to depart.

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Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun will be out of action for six months with an Achilles injury discovered on international duty, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

The Israeli, who will undergo surgery on Monday, suffered a calf injury in Chelsea’s League Cup defeat by Newcastle on September 22.

When he arrived for international duty before Israel’s Euro 2012 qualifiers against Croatia and Greece, however, a scan revealed a torn Achilles tendon.

“The Israeli international returned to the club from international duty last week and will now be out of action for approximately six months,” said a statement on his club’s website (www.chelseafc.com).

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