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Bayern to get back on track

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The Champions League continues on Wednesday with Bayern Munich aiming to bounce back from an indifferent domestic performance on Saturday when they travel to face Basel, while Marseille and Inter Milan clash in France for what should be the tighter of the two first-leg round of 16 ties.

FC Basel v Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich head into Wednesday’s round of 16 first-leg clash with Basel following a desperate performance against Freiburg on Saturday. The German giants ambled to 0-0 stalemate away to the Bundesliga’s bottom side. The result sees them slip to third and lose ground on pace-setters Borussia Dortmund but they are well-fancied to bounce back from the setback and 4/7 to return home from Switzerland with a victory.

Director of sport Christian Nerlinger described Saturday’s match as a “sobering experience” and it would be unwise to back against the players getting their season back on track at the expense of the Swiss champions.

But Basel will head into the match in confident mood and have within their ranks a potent attacking weapon. Alexander Frei tormented Bundesliga defences for three years with previous club Borussia Dortmund, and has netted five times already in the Champions League this season. At 15/8 the 32-year-old is good value to add to his tally and score any time during his re-acquaintance with old rivals.

The transfer of Xherdan Shaqiri from Basel to Bayern, effective from this summer, adds extra interest to this tie and, at 11/4 to score any time for Basel, the Kosovan-born Swiss international is worth consideration.

Marseille v Inter Milan

Elsewhere, Marseille’s home stalemate against Valenciennes on Saturday suggests they are not quite hitting their straps ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Inter Milan. The French outfit are 12 points adrift of pace-setters Paris Saint Germain in Ligue 1 and they scraped through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, winning just one of their three home ties in Group F.

But in truth there is little between these two sides. Inter Milan’s 3-0 home defeat to Bologna on Friday re-affirmed their domestic shortcomings this term and, following their elimination from the Coppa Italia, the Champions League represents manager Claudio Ranieri’s last hope of delivering a trophy this season.

Marseille’s come-from-behind victory away at Borussia Dortmund sent them through to the last 16 and added momentum to their European campaign, while Inter Milan were undefeated away from home as they qualified for the last 16 as winners of Group B. Inter will prove difficult to beat, though Marseille’s home form in domestic competition has been good, with just one defeat in 13 and only eight goals conceded.

With this in mind, the draw at 9/4 looks good value, as does the 0-0 correct score selection at 11/2.

Andre Ayew and Loic Remy have netted twice in the Champions League for Marseille, though top domestic scorer Remy misses this clash with a hamstring injury. For Inter, Argentine marksmen Diego Milito is the danger-man, although he has found it difficult to replicate his domestic goal-scoring form in Europe, netting just once.

With this in mind, those who expect to see goals tomorrow evening might consider Marseille’s Ayew, who is not bad value at 11/2 to net first on Wednesday.

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Zigic back to punish Pompey

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Birmingham City have been one of the in-form sides in the Championship since they crashed out of the Europa League and now manager Chris Hughton will be looking for a further three points when they host Portsmouth on Tuesday (match prices – Birmingham 4/6, draw 13/5, Portsmouth 9/2).

Blues have been frantically playing catch-up after their journey in Europe came to an end but, despite a hectic schedule, the West Midlands outfit have been climbing the Championship table with great affect.

Birmingham were held to a goalless draw in a bitterly cold encounter with Southampton at St Andrew’s on Saturday despite having some great chances to win the game, especially when the visitors went down to 10-men with the sending off of Danny Fox.

Hughton will be looking for a far more clinical effort from his highly attacking side who have managed to score three or more goal against Leeds United, Sheffield United and Watford in recent weeks.

Blues were without Nikola Zigic (5/1 first goalscorer) for their stalemate with Southampton, and his return could spark goals for the home side, after he scored an impressive four goals at Elland Road in his last outing.

The Serbian striker picked up a knock in the 4-1 win over Leeds but could make a return for Birmingham and he will look to cause plenty of problems for the Portsmouth defence.

As for Pompey their financial problems off the field seem to be never ending and reports on Monday have suggested the players have not been paid their wages for January.

Portsmouth fans will be hoping the ongoing troubles behind the scenes will not affect the players on the pitch but it’s hard to see how they wouldn’t.

Fortunately the south-coast outfit have 10 points between themselves and the relegation zone but they will be determined to make sure that gap does not get any smaller in the coming weeks.

Manager Michael Appleton saw his side put in an impressive performance in their last outing, with a 3-0 away victory over Peterborough thanks to a brace from Erik Huseklepp (10/1 first goalscorer).

The Norwegian playmaker has been a key figure for his side but the fact he is the club?s joint leading goalscorer with five in the league tells its own story.

Despite struggling for goals in the striking department, the midfield with David Norris and former Stoke City star Liam Lawrence will cause problems for Blues, in what will be an interesting midfield battle.

Pompey have some important games coming up against teams around them in the league with Ipswich Town and Barnsley on the horizon.

Appleton will be determined to cause an upset on Tuesday night but they might have one eye on more winnable games in the coming weeks.

Birmingham (6/1 Championship outright) are in fine form and it’s hard to the see them not winning this one at St Andrew’s, so expect Pompey to get the Blues on another cold night in the Midlands.

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Henry back to torment Leeds

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The FA Cup always throws up one or two shocks along the way with Wigan already dumped out by League Two Swindon, while Macclesfield were denied a Premier League scalp by a late Bolton equaliser – although the betting suggests we would be in for the biggest surprise yet if it were to happen on Monday night when Arsenal host Leeds United.

The Gunners are 1/4 favourites to make it through to the fourth round at the first attempt, while Leeds are on offer at 11/1 to enjoy the romance of the cup with the draw priced at 9/2 in the match betting.

It is hard to argue with the betting given that Arsene Wenger’s men have been an elite team in the country for many a season, while the Elland Road outfit are trying to make their way back to the top-flight from League One football just two seasons ago.

There will be those who fancy the price on the away win as in that promotion season, Leeds famously beat Manchester United at Old Trafford 1-0 in the third round, while they also took Tottenham to a replay the same year after a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane.

Last season, the Whites were at it again and held this year’s third-round opponents to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates, before losing 3-1 in the replay back on home territory.

That previous form may tempt some, but Leeds have endured a difficult run in the Championship of late with a 2-1 home win over Burnley last time out ending a three-match losing streak.

Simon Grayson’s men do still remain in play-off contention but, because of that, it might pay to see what line-up Grayson puts out against the Gunners, particularly with injuries beginning to take their toll.

Centre-back Paddy Kisnorbo has picked up a knee injury which will keep him out for the rest of the season, while fellow defenders Tom Lees and Alex Bruce are struggling to make it.

Captain Jonny Howson and playmaker Robert Snodgrass are also amongst those on the injury list, which is making the case for a shock win all the more difficult, even with a host of changes expected for Arsenal.

Defensively the Gunners are down to the bare bones with Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs and Andre Santos all ruled out through injury, while Johan Djourou is suspended.

Robin van Persie has been on fire for the Gunners this season and has single-handedly kept them in the Champions League hunt, and he has unsurprisingly been installed as the 9/4 favourite to be the First/Last Goalscorer.

The latter of those is more viable as the Dutch striker is expected to be rested for this tie so there could and should be more value elsewhere – and Thierry Henry is worth considering at 9/4 First/Last and 5/4 Anytime as he is set to start on his return to the Gunners.

Marouane Chamakh is also available as Wenger has successfully delayed his departure to join up with the Morocco squad for the African Cup of Nations and may be worth a punt at 5/1 First/Last.

There has generally been a glut of goals between these two in recent meetings and, with both defences shorn of key players, there should be more on Monday evening, which is reflected in the betting – Over 2.5 Goals at 4/9, and 4 or more goals at 6/5.

Providing Arsenal do not get caught up in Henry’s return, they should have too much for an injury-hit Leeds side to cope with, although an away goal cannot be ruled out (Arsenal 3-1 Correct Score 10/1).

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Chelsea keen to bounce back

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The traditional New Year fixtures throw up several intriguing contests in the Premier League on Monday with Chelsea, in particular, desperate to bounce back from their 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa. Here we preview the games.

Wolves v Chelsea (3pm)

Chelsea’s inconsistent season took another unexpected twist on Saturday when they threw away a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 at home to Villa.

The Blues’ title bid appears in tatters following the defeat that leaves them 11 points off leaders Manchester City and well adrift in fifth place.

A second successive defeat would be unthinkable for boss Andre Villas-Boas and they should bounce back at Molineux although they will not get an easy ride in the Black Country.

Wolves have claimed battling back-to-back draws at Arsenal and Bolton to boost their survival hopes and will fancy their chances of another draw in this one. However, Chelsea know another slip-up will not be tolerated so expect a narrow away win. Go for 0-1 at 6/1.

Prediction – 0-1.

Aston Villa v Swansea (3pm)

Villa (5/6) enjoyed their best day under Alex McLeish on Saturday when they came from behind to stun Chelsea and they can build on that win when they host Swansea (4/1).

The Welsh side have been impressive at home this season but have struggled on their travels and have yet to win away from the Liberty Stadium in the top flight.

Top scorer Danny Graham was rested for the 1-1 draw with Spurs on Saturday – with Luke Moore handed a surprise start – but he should be back in the side with a point to prove at Villa Park so is well worth backing to score anytime at 9/4.

Villa will be buoyant following the Stamford Bridge success and, with Darren Bent  fit again, they look to have too much firepower for the Swans.

Prediction – 2-1.

Blackburn v Stoke (3pm)

Rovers’ win at Manchester United on Saturday was probably the result of the Premier League season so far and, coming on the back of the 1-1 draw at Liverpool, it has eased the pressure considerably on Steve Kean.

The way his young side have fought in the last two games suggests the players are still firmly behind the Scot and they can enjoy another win in this one against Tony Pulis’ side (Blackburn 6/4, Stoke 15/8, draw 9/4 in the match betting).

The Potters have had a good first half to the season and are eighth in the table and through to the knock-out stage of the Europa League but have been poor on their travels in the league, losing five out of nine games and it looks like being another disappointing afternoon on Monday.

Prediction – 1-0.

QPR v Norwich (3pm)

A battle between two of the promoted sides at Loftus Road looks like a difficult one to call.

Rangers lost only narrowly at Arsenal on Saturday but their home form is poor as they have won just once in front of their own fans and sit just a place above the relegation zone.

Neil Warnock knows he needs a goalscorer to boost his ranks and is expected to splash the cash this month in order to ensure safety in the Premier League.

Norwich have exceeded expectations so far back in the top flight and sit 10th at the halfway stage. They have adapted well to life in the Premier League and will have no fear going to the capital to take on the R’s.

This one looks like it has a draw written all over it – take 0-0 in the correct score market at 15/2.

Fulham v Arsenal (5.30pm)

Arsenal go to Craven Cottage for the late game currently in the driving seat in the battle for fourth after the 1-0 win over QPR on Saturday.

The Gunners have been boosted by the imminent return to the club of legend Thierry Henry and the feel-good factor is set to continue as they can secure another three points against their London rivals.

Robin van Persie is always worth backing to score anytime (4/5) while Arsenal HT/FT is also tempting at 2/1.

Fulham were only a few minutes away from a win at Norwich last time out but face a much tougher test on Monday and look like struggling to get anything out of Arsene Wenger’s side.

Prediction – 0-2.

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Swans can bounce back at home

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Six Premier League teams enjoyed a rare Boxing Day off, but they will return to action on Tuesday with three fixtures to look forward to. North London top-four hopefuls Arsenal and Tottenham are among those looking to close the gap at the top, while all-three promoted teams will be seeking a crucial three points in the battle to avoid the drop.

Swansea v QPR (5pm)

Both teams lost last week and will be keen to collect a late Christmas present, with the duo hovering dangerously above the drop zone. Swansea’s home record could be crucial though, as Brandon Rodgers men look to increase the gap between themselves and the R’s.

Both of these sides were playing Championship football last season and QPR had the better of things, claiming a 0-0 draw at the Liberty Stadium before sealing a 4-0 success at Loftus Road. But the Swans have the better form at present and have lost just one of their eight home games to date.

QPR have been better on the road than at home, but Swansea’s impressive defensive record – just two goals conceded at home - could see them edge this affair.

Suggested Bet: Swansea to win @ Evens 

Arsenal v Wolves (3pm)

The Gunners showed some steel when bouncing back from defeat to Manchester City to beat Aston Villa last time out, although it was far from a vintage display. But six wins, one draw and just one defeat at the Emirates tells it’s own story and it looks like more woe on their travels for Wolves.

Mick McCarthy’s men have won just once on their travels this term and recent displays on the road have been poor. Wolves have conceded two goals or more in their last six away games, with just six goals scored in eight fixtures away from Molineux, and it could be more of the same on Tuesday.

Suggested Bet: Total Goals (3-5 Goals) @ 8/13

Norwich v Tottenham (7.30pm)

Both these teams picked up draws in their last fixtures and both are in fine fettle going into this clash at Carrow Road. The Canaries find themselves in the top half, but the attacking threat that Spurs offer could be too much for Paul Lambert’s men.

Norwich has scored plenty at home (16) but they have also conceded regularly (12) and Harry Redknapp’s men have the speed to cause a paceless Canaries backline major problems, especially with Kyle Naughton out through suspension.

Tottenham, who have only lost one of their last 14 league matches, could have Rafael van der Vaart back, after suffering a knock against Chelsea, while Jermaine Defoe will have a late fitness test.

Suggested Bet: Draw HT/Tottenham FT - 10/3

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Blues aim to bounce back

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Birmingham City narrowly crashed out of the Europa League in midweek and without the distraction of Europe they now look ahead to their Championship clash with Crystal Palace on Monday (Palace 17/10, draw 11/5, Birmingham 13/8).

Blues currently find themselves in 14th place in the table but a push for promotion this season is still a realistic target for the club, who have three games in hand over some teams in the league.

Without the Europa League to draw attention from their bread and butter games in the Championship, Blues must now make the most of those matches in hand if they want to make a swift return to the Premier League.

However, they face a tricky trip to the capital on Monday with Palace being tough to beat at Selhurst Park this season.

The Blues welcome back skipper Stephan Carr after he was rested for the 1-0 victory over NK Maribor, which was not enough to put the Championship side through to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Birmingham boss Chris Hughton was impressed with the performance of youngster Nathan Redmond (16/1 first goalscorer) in the win over the Slovenian outfit and the teenage winger is pushing for a place in the starting XI on Monday.

As for Palace they will have to do without their talented teenager Wilfried Zaha, who is suspended following his fifth yellow card in the 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last weekend.

The Eagles don’t have a bad replacement in Darren Ambrose (5/2 to score anytime) who was an unused replacement in the victory at the City Ground and is one of the best players for Palace on his day.

Both Dekel Keinan and Dean Moxey are a doubt for the clash with the Blues as both defenders are struggling with injuries and manager Dougie Freedman will have some decisions to make as to who will fill in at the back.

After a strong start to the season, which saw Palace in the playoff places, the London outfit had started to slip down the table and it looked like the bubble had burst at Selhurst Park.

However, the win over Forest proved the Eagles are still capable of battling out a victory and they will be a tough proposition for Birmingham, who will be feeling the pressure to make the most of those crucial games in hand.

The Blues have plenty of quality in attacking positions with the likes of Chris Burke and Nikola Zigic (7/1 first goalscorer) set to cause a weakened Palace defence problems.

Considering their decent away results in all competitions, the Blues might just have enough in their squad to get all three points at Selhurst Park but expect a closely-fought contest in the capital.

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Can Euro minnows bite back?

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kazakhstan‘There are no easy games in international football any more’ say the experts but can a case really be made for Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, San Marino, Cyprus and Kazakhstan to avoid heavy defeats this weekend?

San Marino (66/1 in Match Betting) are the biggest price on the Totesport international football coupon and, with their 42-match losing streak stretching back to 2004, that looks like a fair assesment of their chances against the World Cup finalists Holland (1/100, Draw 16/1) in Eindhoven.

The tiny principality have improved their home form under Italian coach Giampaolo Mazza recently, going down 1-0 to the visiting Romanian side last month, but their away form still looks rotten – leaving them ripe for a spanking by the Dutch.

San Marino last their two most recent away European Championship qualifiers to Finland and Hungary by the same scoreline 8-0 and, prior to that, were beaten 6-0 by Sweden. A repeat of that mauling is on offer at 8/1 in the Correct Score market.

Luxembourg have also stopped shipping goals at home, although they remain weak on their travels which makes this week’s home clash with low-scoring Romania ripe for a 1-0 away win on the Correct Score front (6/1).

Victor Piturca’s side have scored three goals in their last eight away matches and will surely settle for a solitary goal win at the Stade Josy Barthel.

Liechtenstein are fast-earning a reputation for no longer being among the chief whipping boys of Europe. They almost ended Craig Levein’s Scotland career before it began when the Tartan Army needed a stoppage time Stephen McManus winner to take a 2-1 home win last year and they have won twice since then – away to San Marino and at home against Friday’s opponents Lithuania.

Liechtenstein are too big at 14/1 to record an unlikely double over their group rivals but a safer bet may be for them to hold off the home side until the second half (4/1 Draw/Lithuania in HT/FT).

Andorra, similarly, are no mugs but lack the firepower to seriously trouble better opponents like Armenia this Friday. However with the draw a tasty 5/1 with Totesport, they may be good enough to stop the visitors from claiming all three points at the tiny Estadi Comunal.

Turkey’s home record is good enough to frighten anyone, let alone the minnows they come up against the form of Kazakhstan.

Guus Hiddink’s side have won six and drawn one of their last seven home matches, which includes good wins over Belgium, Romania and the Czech Republic.

But Kazakhstan escaped with only a 4-0 defeat at the hands of a strong-looking German outfit in March and may be in the mood to frustrate a better side again. Turkey 2-0 (11/2) and 3-0 (5/1) look like the most likely scorelines to support in the Correct Score market for this one.

Cyprus and Portugal played out a 4-4 thriller in a coupon-busting Euro 2012 qualifying clash a year ago, but can the minnows go one better and beat Cristiano Ronalo and co on home soil?

The fact that Ronaldo did not play that night in Guimaraes may have had something to do with the result, but clearly the Cypriot attack caused problems for the home defence and they should do again.

Portugal to win 4-1 is on offer at 8/1 while a 5-1 win is a juicy 28/1 – how can you ignore that when Ronaldo remains one of the most potent attackers on the planet – yet the Portuguese defence has conceded five goals in their last four away matches.

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‘Destroyed’ Arsenal to bounce back

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Arsene Wenger admitted in the aftermath of Arsenal’s dramatic, last-gasp Carling Cup final reverse against Birmingham on Sunday that some of his players were “destroyed” by the nature of the 2-1 defeat. However, the Gunners can still enjoy what would surely rank as their finest-ever season if they managed to win an amazing treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup titles (100/1).

It’s a big ask, of course, but will the Wembley defeat re-focus Arsenal as they chase that elusive first trophy since 2005, or will it end up destroying their campaign completely?

Plenty of teams, including Arsenal themselves, have, in the past, benefited from a triumphant League Cup victory that has propelled them onto even greater achievements in the rest of the season but the question Gunners fans – and Wenger himself – will be asking  in is can they now use the crushing late defeat as a catalyst and platform to ensure they do not experience more misery in a season that has promised so much for so long. Such is Arsenal’s recent record of choking in the latter stages of competitions that they are now odds on with Totesport at 8/11 to end the campaign without silverware.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though.

Next up for the north Londoners is an FA Cup fifth-round replay against League One Leyton Orient (Arsenal 15/8 to win FA Cup) after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brisbane Road just over a week ago. Nothing other than a home win on Wednesday will do as the Gunners set about appeasing fans who must be questioning how such a talented bunch of players continue to fall flat on their faces when it matters most. In fact, a handsome victory will be demanded at the Emirates and, a 4-0 rout on offer at 7/1 looks well worth a bet.

The stunning come-from-behind win over Barcelona in the first leg of their European last-16 tie at the Emirates earlier this month has ensured they head to the Nou Camp with a 2-1 lead and, while many are predicting Barca to overcome that, Wenger will be doing all he can to make amends for last year’s 4-1 defeat there and book a place in the quarter-finals. If there is one spectacular way to get over their Wembley heartache then success over the Catalans would be it.

The Premier League title race resumes with a clash at home against Sunderland on Saturday. Wenger will be hoping Chelsea do his side a huge favour by taking something off Manchester United on Tuesday, while United then go to Liverpool on Sunday. The Gunners boss must believe they are two games that the leaders can drop points in and, if they do, it will probably be the Gunners who profit the most. Certainly if Wenger’s men can go on to lift the title at the end of the season (7/4, United 1/2f) then a defeat in late February in the Carling Cup final will seem like little more than an irritation.

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Back to business after Euro glory

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London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham both secured memorable European victories last week – with the Gunners seeing off Barcelona at the Emirates and Spurs grabbing a 1-0 win over AC Milan at the San Siro – but  they turn their attentions back to the Premier League this week as Spurs travel to strugglers Blackpool on Tuesday and Arsenal host Stoke on Wednesday (Arsenal 2/1 to win the Premier League title). How will they shape up following their Champions League wins?

Blackpool Vs Tottenham Hotspur

After their fearless, and wholly unexpected, fine start to life in the Premier League in the autumn last year, the Seasiders have slipped down the  table in recent weeks with just one win since the turn of the year and Ian Holloway’s men are now in real danger of dropping out of the top flight (Blackpool 6/5 to be relegated).

Blackpool also travel to Wolves on Saturday in a crucial relegation showdown but Holloway will still have his players focused for the test of Spurs.  Despite Blackpool’s struggles in 2011 it is worth noting that they have pulled out some decent performances despite results not going their way.  The one win they did manage to pick up in January was the notable scalp of Liverpool in a 2-1 win at Bloomfield Road, while they also pushed champions elect Manchester United to the limit before slipping to a 3-2 defeat.

Spurs have a great away record and only Arsenal have recorded more victories on the road than Harry Redknapp’s side. Spurs are the heavy favourites to take all three points but the game could be much closer than many people expect and Blackpool will not roll over easily (match betting – Blackpool 16/5, draw 11/4, Spurs 4/5).

Spurs will be without the influential midfield duo of Rafael Van der Vaart and Gareth Bale for their trip to Bloomfield Road, while Blackpool have just Richard Kingson as their only option in goal and both sides have a few injury problems. Spurs are also without Vedran Corluka, Jonathan Woodgate, Ledley King, Younes Kaboul and Tom Huddlestone.  Blackpool will have to cope without Stephen Crainey and Matt Gilks, who are both a few weeks away from returning to action, for Spurs’ visit.

Charlie Adam has been in fine form of late and, indeed, through the course of the season. After missing out on a deadline-day move to Spurs he will be desperate to impress Redknapp. The Spurs boss has hinted he may reignite his interest in Adam in the summer and the Scottish international can be backed at 10/3 to score at any time in the match.

Both teams have an attacking philosophy and are arguably two of the most attack minded sides in the Premier League, over 2.5 goals is priced at 8/15 and there will be plenty of chances for both sides over the course of the fixture.

Arsenal V Stoke City

Arsenal and Stoke have built up a fierce rivalry in recent years, with the contrasting styles of bosses Arsene Wenger and Tony Pulis seemingly at the route of the problem – as well as a few tasty encounters.

Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross in particular is an unpopular figure at the Emirates Stadium after his challenge on Aaron Ramsey sidelined the midfielder with a broken leg for a significant amount of time and the Potters and boss Pulis are set for a fiery reception when they arrive at the Emirates on Wednesday.

Both sides have virtually fully-fit squads ahead of the meeting.  Arsenal are without Abou Diaby through suspension, while Johan Djourou remains a doubt with a back injury. Stoke’s only concern is winger Matthew Etherington, who has a back problem.

Arsenal have been beaten just three times at the Emirates in the Premier League this season and it will take a big effort from the Potters to get anything out of the game. Pulis’ Stoke side have managed just 10 points and 12 goals from their 13 away days to date and it would take a brave punter to back anything other than an Arsenal victory at the Emirates on Wednesday (match betting – Arsenal 3/10, draw 4/1, Stoke 10/1).

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Ancelotti back for Arsenal clash

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Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is expected back in England for the Premier League home clash with Arsenal on Sunday following the death of his father (Blues 8/11 to win the game).

Ancelotti Snr passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 87 and his funeral will take place on Saturday in Italy which means his son will miss the build up to the weekend.

But the former AC Milan coach is set to be back in London when the Gunners make the short trip to Stamford Bridge.

A Chelsea statement read: “Carlo Ancelotti’s father Giuseppe passed away in Italy last night aged 87 with his son at his side.

“Everyone at Chelsea Football Club sends our deepest condolences to Carlo and his family. They are all in our thoughts at this time.

“The funeral will take place in Italy on Saturday. Carlo will return to London for Sunday’s match versus Arsenal.”

Blues striker Didier Drogba has already described Sunday’s game as one the Blues cannot afford to lose following last weekend’s defeat at Manchester City (Drogba 4/1 – Enhanced First Goalscorer).

He told Sky Sports: “When I was playing in France, Arsenal was an example for us because there were all these French players who used to play in the French league and went abroad to play for Arsenal with a French manager.

“So to play against them for me means a lot.”

Drogba added: “I don’t think we can afford to lose a second game, especially against Arsenal

“People have to know, and we know, that we’re going to lose some games this season.

“But again, it’s always good to win, it’s always better to win.”

Arsenal also lost last weekend – 3-2 at home to promoted West Brom – but like the Blues they also bounced back in midweek in the Champions League (Gunners 10/1 – Champions League Outright).

Gunners understudy Lukasz Fabianski looks likely to keep his place in goal with Manuel Almunia struggling with an elbow problem.

The Pole was impressive against Partizan Belgrade during Tuesday night’s 3-1 win but will know he needs to back that display up if called on at the Bridge.

The 25-year-old said: “Overall, I am pleased with my performance.

“I am not talking about just saves, but reading the game, coming for crosses or playing with my feet.

“Every aspect of goalkeeping is important for me, so I am pleased with my performance in general.”

Fabianski added: “I am ready to play against Chelsea. I was always ready, so we will see.

“I was never really bothered by all the things said. I was always trying to focus on my job and my work.

“That is what I was always doing and that why I am grounded.”

With or without Fabianski, Arsenal are 18/5 for the away win.

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