Preview: Chelsea v City

The perfect chance to make amends for our FA Cup exit then, a commanding win over the champions-elect on their own patch. Oh, wait, no, i'm neither asleep nor a completely deluded balloon. We've about as much chance of three points as i have of bumping into Lucy Pinder on Friday night and charming her with my manbreasts, generally lairy manner and tales of Terry Phelan's splendid solo goal against Spurs at Maine Road in '93.

Chelsea will be without goalkeeper Peter Cech, ruled out for a month with a calf injury initially thought to be a ligament problem. Ashley Cole, the best left-back in the world over the last year or so, and probably even Chelsea's best player, will miss the majority of their run-in after fracturing his left ankle in a collision with Everton's Landon Donovan. Yuri Zhirkov has a calf strain, Deco a knee injury, and Michael Essien and Jose Bosingwa are out long-term with knee ligament issues.

We have a relatively clean bill of health compared to previous weeks. Mancini has a full set of defenders to pick from, although Vince Kompany's groin has proved an ongoing problem. Pat Vieira is still suspended, and Emanuel Adebayor starts a four-game ban for left-hooking Ryan Shawcross, but Martin Petrov is the only other doubt, barring Michael Johnson, of course. Carlos Tevez is expected to return to the side after flying back to the UK following his daughter's premature birth.

I think we'd all accept that there's little chance of us going to the Bridge and getting a result. Eighteen wins and two draws from twenty games means that barring something astonishing happening we'll come away from London having not added to our points tally for the season. Just ten conceded in those fixtures won't make a single Blue any more optimistic. Half of those came in two games, their two draws, against Everton and Apoel Nicosia, the latter after they'd already qualified for the latter stages of the Champions League, if i'm not mistaken.

Ashley Cole not playing will be a bonus in the sense that he's as productive an attacking outlet as they've had over the last eighteen months. His marauding runs at whoever we pick on the right would've been a particular cause for concern, and Yuri Zhirkov also likely to be absent means we might see their left-back position as an area we can take advantage of. We've nobody who can accurately cross a ball, like, but perhaps Adam Johnson can give whoever comes in a real run for their money, as him and Bellamy wide of a 4-5-1 would appear most likely.

The only other possible weak link we may try and target would be their change of goalkeeper. I've seen Hilario have decent games for Chelsea. Opposition escapes me but i recall two separate occasions on which he's taken the reins and anything and everything has bounced off him. Still, there's the slightest chance having to rejig the back-line could be a problem for them.

All eyes will of course be on Wayne Bridge, particularly in light of him today revealing that he wishes to play no further part for the national side. I hope he gets a suitable welcome given his six seasons service, but i wouldn't hold my breath. With Anelka drifting into the wide right position, and Ivanovic at home in either half, he'll almost certainly have a busy afternoon. Here's hoping he can play as well as he generally has since his return, or failing that simply sprint the full length of the pitch to boob John Terry full-on on the nose.

If we defend as we have done against Liverpool, and for most of the first ninety minutes at Stoke last night, then we've got a chance of keeping it from turning into a rugby score. Apologies if i'm being overly negative, but it's one of about three games that i still consider beyond us. I'd take a heroic 0-1 defeat if offered it now. Here's hoping the players don't see the afternoon as such a forgone conclusion.

Possible teams:
Chelsea: Hilario, Ivanovic, Belletti, Carvalho, Terry, Mikel, Ballack, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda

City: Given, Richards, Bridge, Kompany, Lescott, de Jong, Zabaleta, Barry, Tevez, Bellamy, A.Johnson

Prediction: Chelsea 3 City 0