EPL - Chelsea vs Manchester United - Nov 8
-
VS 
Chelsea vs Manchester United
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Channel 27: 12:00 am - (Live) (Mon Morning)
Premier League Game 12
Manchester United :
Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, O'Shea, Evra, Nani, Anderson, Fletcher, Park, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov, Park, Ben Foster, Valencia, Owen, Obertan.
-
Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher plays on with broken bone
Influential: United midfielder Darren Fletcher
Manchester United linchpin Darren Fletcher is one bad tackle away from ankle surgery, it has emerged.
The Scotland international is recognised as United's most important midfielder and returned to action after an injury lay-off as his team drew 3-3 with CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Fletcher now has his sights on Sunday's titanic clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but revealed he is playing with a damaged ankle that will eventually need an operation.
The 25-year-old is hoping that injections and careful management will get him through the season but it is clear that the problem is making him vulnerable.
Fletcher said last night: 'I injured my ankle in the Sunderland game last month. A bit of bone has broken off the back of my ankle and is stuck, so every time I bend it is causing a bit of pain.
'I have had an injection to clear it up but eventually it is going to need to be cleaned out. There has been a build-up of fluid as well. I will have to get something done but the injection will see me through a few months.
'It should be OK to the end of the season. That is the plan - to get me through to the summer.
'Striking a ball or bending the ankle in a flexed position or pushing off hurts. It got to the point where it was too sore to train and play so something had to be done and I had the injection.'
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hopes to have defender Nemanja Vidic back for Sunday's game as well as striker Dimitar Berbatov and winger Ryan Giggs.
It appears unlikely that Rio Ferdinand will be back to play on his 31st birthday, though, after team-mate Wes Brown revealed the defender has a back problem.
Brown said: 'Rio has been injured for a very long time and he's been getting a lot of pain in his back. When he comes back I'm sure he'll be a lot stronger. If you are not fully fit and you try and play it's very hard.'
One defender who will face Chelsea is left back Patrice Evra, who has a controversial history against the club. The Frenchman was charged by the FA for fighting with Chelsea groundstaff after a game two seasons ago and was flattened off the ball by Michael Ballack in the build-up to the London club's goal in the Community Shield in August.
Evra said: 'When I play against Chelsea something bad always happens. There was the trouble after one game and then this season there was the incident with Ballack. I have to make sure this time that nothing happens.'
-
if MU's defence is not in check, this will be a massacre.
-
My own thoughts are... Chelsea will win.
Why? Cos they are presently the better team, have home ground advantage and, United's shaky defence doesn't help too... They are currently like Liverpool, letting in goals quite easily, Chelsea to win by 2 goals for me... But my heart still hope United do well and pull off an upset... But my mind just tells me its almost impossible...
-
Originally posted by zocoss:
My own thoughts are... Chelsea will win.
Why? Cos they are presently the better team, have home ground advantage and, United's shaky defence doesn't help too... They are currently like Liverpool, letting in goals quite easily, Chelsea to win by 2 goals for me... But my heart still hope United do well and pull off an upset... But my mind just tells me its almost impossible...
i sincerely hope you are wrong.. no offense.
-
Originally posted by iceFatboy:
i sincerely hope you are wrong.. no offense.
None taken... I also wish I am wrong too...
-
Rio Ferdinand ruled out of crunch clash with Chelsea as defender's latest injury baffles Manchester United
Poor show: Ferdinand's last game was United's defeat at Liverpool when he was easily beaten by Fernando Torres for the Reds' opening goal
Rio Ferdinand is facing an extended period on the sidelines as Manchester United try to get to the bottom of his latest injury concern.
Ferdinand has already been ruled out of Sunday's Premier League showdown with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after failing to recover from a calf injury that has been plaguing him for a couple of weeks.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson now fears the injury may be related to a lower back complaint.
'There has been no improvement,' said the United boss. 'We are having to look at something different because usually you are back from a calf injury within two or three weeks.
'But there is no sign of recovery from this injury so we are looking at whether it is to do with his lower back.'
-
wow, football focus all predict MU lost, a expool and exmys players.. kns.
-
whatever to the people who said man utd will win over liverpool? still ring a bell?
well it suits man utd fine that chelsea is the favourites to win. I think man utd performs well when it is the underdogs. we shall see.
-
zzz too much pressure on chelsea
i would buy $20 on man utd. and if chelsea win i happy.. if lose still got compensate..
if draw... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
-
Originally posted by youyayu:
zzz too much pressure on chelsea
i would buy $20 on man utd. and if chelsea win i happy.. if lose still got compensate..
if draw... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
lose 20 nia chey. bet ur own team win la kaoz. where got buy rival team win sia lol.
-
Originally posted by youyayu:
zzz too much pressure on chelsea
i would buy $20 on man utd. and if chelsea win i happy.. if lose still got compensate..
if draw... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Give me that $20, make me happy :D
-
Chelsea captain John Terry insists: We’re back to our best and United are there for the taking
Case for the defence: John Terry has backed his England team-mate Rio Ferdinand
Chelsea captain John Terry believes the Premier League title is there for the taking - and so are Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
In a bullish and candid interview, the leader of club and country not only defends injured England colleague Rio Ferdinand against the snipers who wonder whether he will ever be the same player again but also, more controversially, says he 'loved' the passion for Chelsea which Didier Drogba showed in his reaction to last season's Champions League defeat by Barcelona.
Although Terry speaks up for Ferdinand, he believes the indifferent form of the United side as a whole make them vulnerable to a Chelsea team inspired by Drogba.
But Terry believes his preferred partner in the heart of England's defence has been made a scapegoat for United's collective failings and will be back to his best in time for next summer's World Cup.
'It's really difficult with United's form not being what it was in the last few years. They were exceptional for two years with Ronaldo, they are obviously missing him and when they are not playing as well as they can, people finger-point. When you're conceding goals, people look at individuals.
'Even when we were conceding from corners and set-plays people were saying, "Chelsea look shaky defensively". 'That's down to the whole team, that's not down to the defence and I think Rio is suffering a little bit of that as well.
Chelsea can once more count on Drogba. Against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, in his first match since the end of the three-match ban imposed for his foul-mouthed rant against Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo last May, he gave the complete striker's performance.
His two late goals were well-deserved adornments to a display of pace, power, commitment and technique. It showed that reports he is in the form of his life are no exaggeration, just months after his future at the club was questioned.
But Terry's part-time employers at the FA will be uncomfortable to hear the England captain express any kind of approval for Drogba's reaction to Champions League semi-final defeat.
'I don't think Didier was ever on his way out of the club.' Terry said. 'Didier loves this club and when we lose a game there is no one more disappointed than him. People look at when he lost his rag after the game, but that's because he cares about this football club, and from a Chelsea point of view, I love the way Didier reacted there.
'People were quick to criticise him but you see him in the dressing room and you see him in training and you see him motivating the players and motivating himself - he really cares for this football club.
'He's one of the best and most difficult strikers to play against in the world. When the performances and the goals go together, I think it probably is the best he has played for Chelsea.'
With or without Rio, that is bad news for United at Stamford Bridge.
- Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson may be forced to use Wayne Rooney as a lone striker in the Premier League showdown at Chelsea because of a late injury scare to United’s record £31million signing, Dimitar Berbatov, who is struggling with a knock picked up in last Tuesday’s Champions League tie against CSKA Moscow.
-
I believe that when odds are against man utd, it will perform and surprise the odds, mark my words.
when utd are the overwhelming favourites to win liverpool at anfield, look what happened? probably man utd believed in the hype and did not fight tooth and nail against liverpool, who were fighting for their pride and rivalry and duly beaten man utd, who were outclassed and outfought in midfield and the second ballls.
I believe man utd will fight like hell against chelsea today. you cant have scholes and giggs in the midfield and hope they fought till the end. you need to have players like fletcher and anderson, who are players with high energy levels.
-
United have not won at the Bridge for like 7 yrs I think... since 2002... So i would be happy to even take one point away from this especially on current form...
-
aiyah every season every match is different. whatever happened in the past is irrelevant this season. if man utd let chelsea dominate its midfield and play scholes and giggs again, then the record at the bridge goes on lor.
but if man utd were to play like liverpool did against man utd, aggressive midfield and winning the second balls, then man utd have a chance. depends on how unitd performs today.
I think giggs will play in this match, but pls dun play scholes alongside him. if fergie played both the oldies, then heong kan liao, today a defeat for sure. if the lineup confirmed giggs and scholes playing together, then a defeat before play is a possibility. I hope fergie dun make the same mistakes twice.
-
Originally posted by zocoss:
United have not won at the Bridge for like 7 yrs I think... since 2002... So i would be happy to even take one point away from this especially on current form...
Lets see the historic moment of Man U to win at Stamford Bridge so as to boost morale back =) -
Hopefully we'll take this one from the Blues.
-
Originally posted by SandmanX:
Hopefully we'll take this one from the Blues.
sure unless fergie play giggs and scholes again.
-
No Rio and Vidic... hmmm...
-
no berbatov wtf, not even on the bench. was he injured? even vidic is not playing, brown and evans are going to get murdered by drogba and anelka. this is not a good lineup by man utd. another chelsea victory on the cards at the bridge.
-
man utd midfield is well matched to chelsea. fletcher and anderson to haggle and harrass chelsea midfield. worry about the brown and evans partnership.
-
Chelsea v Manchester United line-ups:
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Drogba, Anelka.
Subs: Hilario, Joe Cole, Mikel, Malouda, Paulo Ferreira, Kalou, Alex.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Brown, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Valencia, Rooney, Giggs.
Subs: Kuszczak, Owen, Vidic, Scholes, Fabio Da Silva, Obertan, Gibson.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
-
hello to all! finally some time to post!
i fear for this match, evans and brown as CB? berbatov not on bench too! hmmm..
-
Originally posted by Dead_Man_Inc:
hello to all! finally some time to post!
i fear for this match, evans and brown as CB? berbatov not on bench too! hmmm..
Wah... Finally get to come home ah?...