Tuesday, 23rd March 2010

Chelsea’s curse of knee injuries to right-backs has claimed another victim with news that Branislav Ivanovic tore his medial ligaments in the 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers at the weekend.

The reliable Serbian has enjoyed an extended spell as right-back for The Blues, with first-choice Jose Bosingwa ruled out for the entire season after undergoing knee surgery. Juliano Belletti is also unavailable to fill the void as he is battling his own knee problems, leaving Paulo Ferreira, the fourth-choice, as the only viable replacement.

It isn’t all bad news for Chelsea on the injury front however, with Petr Cech available for the midweek match against Portsmouth after successfully recovering from a calf injury. The unfortunate defensive situation nevertheless dampens The Blues’ chances of chasing down Manchester United, who are currently four points ahead in the standings.

 

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