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CHELSEA v Wigan: Preview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Date: Saturday, 7 April

Kick-off: 15.00 BST

 

After the excitement of the Champions League midweek, where we secured a semi-final against Barcelona, it’s back to the bread and butter of the Premier League and a home game against Wigan.

Following on from today, it’s Fulham Monday, an FA Cup semi against Spurs on the Sunday, Barcelona, Arsenal then Barcelona again. Today though, we somehow have to put all that aside and concentration on the job in hand given we’re as desperate to get up the table as your average famine victim.

 

 

MANAGERS’ VIEWS

With the bones beginning to creak a little already in a pretty full-on fixture list, ahead of today’s game, Roberto Di Matteo insists “I have full confidence in the squad.  I’ve been using the squad in the past and, fortunately, this club has a lot of good players. I’m very confident that the players that will be picked for the game will give everything they can to make the team win.”

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez meanwhile, prefers to concentrate on one of our forthcoming fixtures, saying this week “If the second game had been at their place, Chelsea would have had an advantage.  Chelsea need to take at least a two-goal lead to Barcelona to win. 90 minutes in the Nou Camp is a long period to address things and put them right. Barcelona did that against AC Milan the other night.  If the second leg had been at the Bridge, Chelsea would be favourites.”

 

 

SQUAD NEWS

For us, JT (ribs) is likely to have a day off while he continues to recover from a couple of broken ribs.  Ashley Cole (ankle) will probably keep him company and Frank Lampard (knee) is also doubtful.

For Wigan Rodallega (knee) remains out although Mohamed Diame (groin) is expected to return.

 

 

TEAMS

CHELSEA (from): Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Bertrand, Mikel, Romeu, Essien, Meireles, Ramires, Mata, Malouda, Drogba, Torres, Sturridge, Kalou, Turnbull.

WIGAN (from): Al Habsi, Kirkland, Caldwell, Boyce, Figueroa, Alcaraz, Stam, Lopez, Gohouri, Beausejour, Watson, Moses, Crusat, McArthur, McCarthy, Jones, Gomez, Thomas, Diame, Maloney, Sammon, Di Santo

 

 

LAST MEETING

Wigan 1-1 Chelsea (17th December 2011)

 

 

PREDICTION

Ok, as ever let’s look at the positives first. Since Roberto Di Matteo took over we’ve won 7, drawn 1 and lost 1. We’ve also not been shy of thumping today’s opponents in the past. On the down side, we only managed a draw away to them in December and they seem to have hit a bit of form recently (albeit tentative), winning their last couple. In short though, it’s one of them games we simply have to win, so we should really know what’s coming eh?

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