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Chelsea hope to give local rivals the blues

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley is seen before their English Premier League match on Dec. 9 against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park Stadium in Blackburn. PHOTO: AP

Nothing encourages the optimist more than the arrival of a new year, but Chelsea would be forgiven for approaching this year with a touch of trepidation.

An FA Cup third round tie with Queens Park Rangers today may not have Avram Grant's side quaking, but such confidence promises to be short-lived.

The encounter with QPR is the last match before the start of the African Cup of Nations and, while the tournament has caused ripples of resentment to sweep around the entire Premier League, nowhere are the complaints louder than at Chelsea.

Grant is bracing himself for the loss of Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Jon Obi Mikel and Michael Essien for up to six weeks. Even for a club of Chelsea's resources, it will require a superhuman effort to shrug off the absence of such key personnel.

Against that gloomy backdrop, Grant should make the most of the visit of QPR.

The Championship club are rebuilding under the stewardship of Luigi De Canio and the investment provided by a heavyweight new board, which includes the Formula One moguls Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore and the billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.

But not even their most ardent supporters will travel to Stamford Bridge expecting to register a first win over their local rivals since 1995.

Grant has continually sought to distance himself from the past since his appointment as manager in September, but even the Israeli would not dare to do away with the ruthless streak instilled in Chelsea by his predecessor Jose Mourinho.

The Blues have been at their most bloody-minded in recent weeks, eking out points without ever sparkling, and there is no suggestion their guard will drop against QPR.

"This game is important for us," Michael Ballack, the Germany midfielder said. "We play at home so we are favorites and we want to reach the next round. In England the FA Cup is very, very important and maybe it doesn't compare with cup competitions in other countries."

Meanwhile, West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has insisted there are no problems with his relationship with Dean Ashton and hinted the striker could be recalled for today's FA Cup clash with Manchester City.

Ashton has returned to fitness after a year on the sidelines but has been unable to break into the Hammers' starting line-up.
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