Premier League - Blues fret over ruling

Eurosport - Sat, 24 Oct 09:12:00 2009

Success for Chelsea this season could hinge on the Court of Arbitration for Sport - and assistant manager Ray Wilkins admits the Blues are worried at the prospect of losing four key players in January, with no means of replacing them.

2008-2009 Chelsea Ray Wilkins - 0

Chelsea have appealed to the CAS against a transfer ban implemented by FIFA, who found them guilty of inducing teenager Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens two years ago.

The west London side have asked for the ban, over two transfer windows, to be delayed while the CAS consider their case - something which may not happen until the new year because of the administrators' packed schedule.

Such a delay could allow Chelsea to sign players in the January transfer window, and make allowances for the absences of four members of the squad taking part in the African Nations Cup.

They are expected to learn within the next fortnight if their request for a review of their case has been successful. It is a decision which could have a major bearing on Carlo Ancelotti's first season in charge, with strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou and midfielders John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien on international duty in Angola from January 10-31.

Wilkins insists Chelsea are confident in their squad strength, but believes the absences of the quartet will have a significant impact.

"If you look at the four we will lose and you take the equivalent four out of any team in the country, then you are naturally concerned," he said. "We would not suggest for one minute we are not concerned, because they are top quality footballers - and we are going to be missing those guys.

"It would be very pleasant to be able to bring people in - because we lose some influential players in Kalou, Drogba, Essien and Mikel - but we have a squad here that is more than capable of coping with that situation. We are going to lose some massive footballers - but that is life. We knew the African Nations Cup was coming around and we will have to deal with it."

Wilkins admits transfer plans remain part of Chelsea's strategy as they wait for a verdict on the suspension request.  

"I am sure Carlo's got a few names out there he would like to bring in," added Wilkins. "But until the situation is resolved, we will just have to crack on. If the ban is lifted then all well and good."

PA Sport

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  1. we all know who the @#$% hate Chelsea the most,to all­ Kop,Red Bean Devils & Gunners The Mooners thank u­ for your rubbish comments...because we love our­ club,players & everything we have right­ now...Chelsea 4ever~

    From qif_fiq, on Sat 24 Oct 7:56PM

  2. craigwise70 What a @#$% you are.
    What do you know­ about what goes on in the real football world. Perhaps­ you can name some of the teams that do not make­ appoaches to young up and coming players. You must­ either be a Man united or Scouse supporter because you­ must be as thick as your age ( 70 )

    From webisan1, on Sat 24 Oct 7:47PM

  3. valach, go and look at the starting lineup for our­ carling cup game you sad thick idiot. I really wanna­ slap you silly.

    and people on here saying oh a ban isa­ ban an it should stivk obviously dont actually know­ whats going on, havent read anything about it and dont­ know the law. they have simply read chelsea banned and­ said guilty. you people are so stupid it hurts that I­ comment on the same pages as you

    From yip, on Sat 24 Oct 1:16PM

  4. Serves you right. You arrogant nooks.

    From Ian, on Sat 24 Oct 12:35PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    WATCH ALL MATCHES ON INTERNET: PREMIER LEAGUE, FA CUP, ­ CHAMPIONSHIP, CARLING CUP, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA,­ LIGUE 1, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE,­ QUALIFICATION WORLD CUP 2010, BRASILERAO, EREDIVISIE­ AND MUCH MORE

    From WWW.PREMIERSHIP.ALTERVISTA.ORG, on Sat 24 Oct 12:03PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    google football toilet paper and you can get Liverpool­ v Man Utd toilet paper, and vice versa, all other major­ teams on there aswell

    From footballtoiletpaper, on Sat 24 Oct 11:32AM
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the severity of the ban reflects the crime if u plead­ guilty in court do u expect a lighter sentence no u­ dont u get what u deserve perhaps if they hadnt and­ then found guilty i would think it would probably been­ double so accept your punishment use the youth policy­ and give them a try

    From OLIVER, on Sat 24 Oct 11:19AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the severity of the ban reflects the crime if u plead­ guilty in court do u expect a lighter sentence no u­ dont u get what u deserve perhaps if they hadnt and­ then found guilty i would think it would probably been­ double so accept your punishment use the youth policy­ and give them a try

    From OLIVER, on Sat 24 Oct 11:18AM

  9. chelsea have said all along there guity its the­ severity of the ban there apealing for

    From gary, on Sat 24 Oct 11:08AM

  10. Regardless of whether or not we are allowed to sign­ players in the January window we will still have one of­ the strongest squads and will go on and win both the­ Champions league and the Premiership (as a minimum.)­
    Incidentally, until the group games are out of the way­ how long we will have to be without some of these­ players is unknown, but on paper at least we have a­ pretty easy fixture list during this period that we­ should be able to deal with. The stupid mickey mousers­ on here would be well advised to concentrate on their­ own immense problems that they have with their­ squad....all that money... all these years and only a­ two man team!!! Despite not being banned from doing so­ they will not be able to sign anybody in January­ because they are skint and even if they weren't no­ player of any class would go there with such a chancer­ of a manager.
    Bluesarme.

    From Tony T, on Sat 24 Oct 11:06AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Yah Boo Sucks to Chelski.

    Must have been a very­ serious breach for the young lad to be banned from­ playing for months and for him to be fined jointly and­ severally with Chelski to the tune of €750k, if I got­ the sums right.

    I hope they appeal and get an even­ longer ban. Were guilty of tapping up SWP and then­ Danny Sturridge for years but City never going to­ complain as we would just look small. Hope it costs­ Chelsea the title and their chumps league place if they­ cheated.

    Rules are rules guys and even Abram the man­ has to accept losing sometimes. And to those that say­ they hope City suffer this fate too I say too right if­ we break the rules. Heck it might mean we have to wait­ a bit to throw money away and do without silverware for­ a while. That would be the hardest thing!!!

    From ken.good1, on Sat 24 Oct 10:56AM

  12. Chelsea4lyf

    From David, on Sat 24 Oct 10:53AM

  13. Stop criticizing Chelsea you Stupid fools we all do­ know that this ban and suspension because Blater­ don't like Chelsea especially when he looked a big­ gigantic A$$ when the scandal last year in the­ Champions league the famous match (chelsea vs Barca)­ and this is a fact so don't beat yourself to death­ when the ban is suspended because we have the right

    From vandork85, on Sat 24 Oct 10:49AM

  14. God, C

    From gglynes, on Sat 24 Oct 10:42AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    IF CHELSEA HAD BEEN GIVING CHANCE TO THE OTHER SQUAD­ MEMBERS THIS BAN WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM.THEY USE THE­ SAME FIRST TEAM FOR EVEN THE CARLING CUP.ITS SO EASY­ PREDICTING CHELSEA LINE UP FOR EVERY MATCH, EVEN A­ FRIENDLY MATCH.

    From valach, on Sat 24 Oct 10:41AM

  16. lets get this right chelsea broke the rules and got­ punished but is every team not guilty of this at some­ point in time . peter kenyon is to blame for this what­ underhand dealing did he do when he was with man u i­ wonder as for the african nation cup they will be­ missing essien drogba and kalou but has for mikel well­ he can stay in africa he is usless shame deco was not­ african as well

    From gary, on Sat 24 Oct 10:36AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    rules are rules if you cant follow them then you have­ to pay the price. how can you even have to cheek to ask­ for it to be suspended i hope your found guilty and­ get a longer ban and then i hope they find that you­ have been doing it for years and strip your previous­ titles

    From craigwise70, on Sat 24 Oct 10:31AM

  18. Armchairs!

    From Kevin, on Sat 24 Oct 10:14AM

  19. this is @#$%. you get a ban . and it should come in­ affect right away. you cant ask them to put it forward­ or suspend it because you want to buy more players in­ january. thats tough if you cant feild a full team. you­ have had miliions and millions of pounds spent. live­ with it.

    From devilfish2k9, on Sat 24 Oct 10:12AM

  20. MORON EH? AT LEAST I'VE GRDUATED FROM BEING A­ PAPERBOY YOU SPECKY T*T

    From gglynes, on Sat 24 Oct 9:51AM
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