Michael and Joe Cole will have to fight for place
BALLACKS TO YOU TWO
From ROB BEASLEY in Moscow
LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI has told Michael Ballack he is NOT guaranteed a place in Chelsea’s starting eleven.
The new Blues boss drew up a backbone of nine ‘untouchables’ for his first Premier League campaign.
They are keeper Petr Cech, defenders John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa, midfielders Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Deco plus striker Didier Drogba.
That means Ballack, 31, who’s on £130,000 a week, will have to fight with England winger Joe Cole and French pair Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda for the two remaining places.
Ballack was a regular under Avram Grant last season, scoring nine goals in 30 appearances as Chelsea reached their first European Cup final.
But Brazilian Scolari opted not to make him one of his magnificent nine during the club’s tour of Asia and Russia.
Scolari said: “I will have a spine to my team and pick other players depending on the opponents and the problems they will give us.
Dramatic
“That is when I might change three or four players.”
Scolari’s plan is a big blow to Cole, who played 55 games last season and was also voted the club’s Player of the Year.
And the 26-year-old is still trying to get over the agony of the Blues double defeat by Manchester United last season.
United pipped Chelsea to the title on the last day then beat them in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to win the Champions League final in Moscow.
Cole confessed: “It’s the worst end to a season in my career. I can’t think of a lower thing in football.
“I’ve suffered relegation before but losing to your closest rivals on penalties when you virtually had the cup in your hands is certainly on a par.”
And with England missing Euro 2008, he has had time to brood about it.
He said: “I sure know the highs and the lows of football. It’s definitely been a bad summer.”
And he warned Chelsea must fly out of the blocks or risk more heartache.
Cole added: “We need to win our first game and just keep going and going.
“We’ve had terrible starts to the league in the past two years.
“This year we need to start well. The only thing is winning. That’s it.”
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