Chelsea's Essien set for return against Stoke

Posted Tuesday, April 20, 2010 by theguardian.com

Michael Essien set for a timely return in must-win Stoke City showdown

Chelsea's Essien set for return against Stoke
Michael Essien damaged a hamstring in a Champions League group stage match against Apoel Nicosia in December.

Chelsea's preparations for their potentially pivotal Premier League match against Stoke City on Sunday have been further disrupted after Mikel John Obi, their first-choice defensive midfielder, succumbed to a knee injury.

The Nigerian, a regular in the side since Michael Essien suffered hamstring and knee injuries, is not expected to feature in a game Chelsea must win after Sunday's defeat at Tottenham Hotspur shaved their advantage at the top of the Premier League to a solitary point.

Mikel, right, hobbled off after 33 minutes of the game at White Hart Lane and, although Chelsea are continuing to scrutinise the extent of the injury, he stands little chance of featuring on Sunday.

It would leave Carlo Ancelotti without a natural defensive midfielder against Stoke, forcing the manager to deploy Michael Ballack or Deco in an unfamiliar holding role. Essien has not played for Chelsea since the Champions League group game at home to Apoel Nicosia in early December, when he tore a hamstring after scoring Chelsea's first goal. He then damaged his left knee in training with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations, an injury that initially was expected to keep him out for six weeks.

That absence has been extended by complications – the player underwent extensive rehabilitation alongside Ashley Cole in the south of France last month – which saw the joint swell up after exercise. Chelsea have missed his dynamism and had hoped he would be fit to return against Liverpool on 2 May. His progress is being monitored on a daily basis.

Ancelotti could do without having to play with an unbalanced midfield when he was already confronting the reality that he must reshape his defence for the potentially awkward visit of Stoke.

Ashley Cole may make his first appearance since fracturing an ankle at Everton in February but John Terry is suspended following his dismissal at Spurs. With Ricardo Carvalho sidelined for a further fortnight at least – the Portuguese started running only last week, as he recovers from an ankle injury – Ancelotti is considering playing Branislav Ivanovic, recently recovered from his own knee problems, as a central defender, alongside Alex. That would mean retaining Paulo Ferreira, embarrassed by Gareth Bale and withdrawn at half-time against Spurs, at right-back.

There remain doubts, too, over Didier Drogba's fitness though the club and player have opted for the moment against his undergoing keyhole surgery on his troublesome groin. Drogba has been suffering from a hernia problem over recent weeks and alarmed the coaching staff by pulling up as he prepared to kick off the second half on Saturday, seconds after Ancelotti had made his third substitution.

Drogba was assessed on the sidelines before the game restarted and ended up completing the match, though he could yet be rested on Sunday in favour of Nicolas Anelka, with the potentially critical trip to Liverpool the following weekend in mind.

"It'll be his decision," said Ancelotti when asked about possible surgery for Drogba prior to the World Cup finals. "He doesn't have a big problem. It's more about controlling the situation but he'll take a decision at the end of the season whether to have the surgery or not. But it's by no means sure that he'll have an operation."