Carlo Ancelotti has opted to drop French pair Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka to make room for Yuri Zhirkov and Fernando Torres on the attack. Chelsea are expected to come out in their now-standard 4-4-2 shape with a formidable (on paper, at least) strike pairing of Didier Drogba and £50M Torres, who is yet to score a goal in Chelsea colours since moving from Liverpool in the January transfer window. Yossi Benayoun also makes his first team return, earning a place on the substitute’s bench after six months out with an Achilles problem.
Chelsea Vs. Manchester United, 2011 UEFA Champions League: Chelsea Lineups
Aside from switching the disappointing Malouda for the more defensively reliable Zhirkov, Ancelotti’s midfield and defence lines up more or less as expected. With David Luiz cup-tied and Alex out of action with a knee problem, Chelsea’s only available centre backs are John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, which leave Jose Bosingwa playing right back while Ashley Cole mans the left. The midfield features Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, and Ramires - they’ll be hoping they can expose the relatively weak United centre through power and pace.
It’s an attacking formation, though - clearly Ancelotti disagrees with those claiming that the game is going to be a dull one.
Chelsea (4-4-2): Petr Cech; Ashley Cole, John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Jose Bosingwa; Yuri Zhirkov, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Ramires; Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres.
Substitutes: Ross Turnbull, Yossi Benayoun, John Obi Mikel, Florent Malouda, Paulo Ferreira, Salomon Kalou, Nicolas Anelka.
See More:
