Players out to impress Scolari as Chelsea head to Asia
Monday, 21 July 2008
GUANGZHOU, China, July 20 (AFP): Chelsea arrive in China Monday to kick-off their pre-season Asian tour with Luiz Felipe Scolari keen to assess his squad and the players fighting to impress him.
The Blues are expected to bring a virtually full-strength team including new signings Deco from Barcelona and Porto's Jose Bosingwa, as well as Frank Lampard who is still mulling a move to Inter Milan.
They touch down in this southern city with speculation rife that Brazilian star Kaka could also move to Stamford Bridge, although AC Milan denied reports Saturday of a world- record transfer worth 80 million pounds (100m euros, 160m dollars).
If he moves the FIFA World Player of the Year will be reunited with a manager who handed him a Brazil debut in 2002 and then included him in the squad that went on to win the World Cup that year.
Speaking ahead of the tour to Guangzhou, Macau and Kuala Lumpur, captain John Terry said everyone knew they needed to fight for their place in the team.
"We are all professionals, and with the new manager all of the players want to impress him to make sure we are a part of his plans," said the 27-year-old.
"There's no way we can take any of the games lightly. We have strong opposition and we need to be in the best condition possible for the start of the Premier League."
Scolari inherited the current squad from former managers Avram Grant and Jose Mourinho and so far only two players have been offloaded-Hernan Crespo on a free transfer and Steve Sidwell to Aston Villa for 5.5 million pounds.
Shaun Wright-Phillips could follow them out the door with Harry Redknapp keen to have him at Fratton Park alongside Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.
Striker Didier Drogba's future is also unclear, although Scolari has insisted that he wants Drogba and Lampard to stay as he attempts to wrest the Premier League title from Manchester United and win the Champions League.
The Blues are expected to bring a virtually full-strength team including new signings Deco from Barcelona and Porto's Jose Bosingwa, as well as Frank Lampard who is still mulling a move to Inter Milan.
They touch down in this southern city with speculation rife that Brazilian star Kaka could also move to Stamford Bridge, although AC Milan denied reports Saturday of a world- record transfer worth 80 million pounds (100m euros, 160m dollars).
If he moves the FIFA World Player of the Year will be reunited with a manager who handed him a Brazil debut in 2002 and then included him in the squad that went on to win the World Cup that year.
Speaking ahead of the tour to Guangzhou, Macau and Kuala Lumpur, captain John Terry said everyone knew they needed to fight for their place in the team.
"We are all professionals, and with the new manager all of the players want to impress him to make sure we are a part of his plans," said the 27-year-old.
"There's no way we can take any of the games lightly. We have strong opposition and we need to be in the best condition possible for the start of the Premier League."
Scolari inherited the current squad from former managers Avram Grant and Jose Mourinho and so far only two players have been offloaded-Hernan Crespo on a free transfer and Steve Sidwell to Aston Villa for 5.5 million pounds.
Shaun Wright-Phillips could follow them out the door with Harry Redknapp keen to have him at Fratton Park alongside Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.
Striker Didier Drogba's future is also unclear, although Scolari has insisted that he wants Drogba and Lampard to stay as he attempts to wrest the Premier League title from Manchester United and win the Champions League.