Raring to go: Torres will make his Chelsea
debut on Sunday at home to Liverpool
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed last
night he could launch Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba AND Nicolas
Anelka on Liverpool this Sunday.
After seeing his side hit four goals in a resounding
victory at Sunderland, Ancelotti admitted he could change his
tactics to suit his superstar trio.
'I will probably play two strikers, maybe with a diamond,'
he said, hinting at a front two of Torres and Drogba playing in
front of with Anelka just behind. 'He (Torres) will have no
problems playing with Drogba or another striker.'
Torres will launch his Chelsea career against his old club
despite last-ditch attempts by Anfield chiefs to force him out of
the fixture.
Liverpool tried to strike a gentleman's agreement with
Chelsea so the Spaniard would miss the game, but Ancelotti
confirmed: 'There is no agreement that he won't play against
Liverpool.'
Torres did not travel to the' Stadium of Light to see his
new strike partners - particularly Anelka - perform brilliantly in
the win that takes Chelsea within a point of third-placed
Manchester City.
Talks around his move delayed the £50million record
transfer as the clock ticked towards Monday's 11pm deadline. Any
agreement over Sunday's game would be illegal under Barclays
Premier League rules and Chelsea resisted the pressure to find a
loophole.
It could have worked had Torres moved initially on loan,
preventing him playing against his parent club. 'It is like the
destiny,' said Torres.
It's not perfect for me but we'll see what happens and I
only have good words about Liverpool. They made me a top player and
gave me the chance to play at the top level. Now history is
different and I am playing for Chelsea.'
Don't forget me: Nicolas Anelka starred in
Chelsea's 4-2 win over Sunderland
Torres spent yesterday on administrative tasks and
acquainting himself with his new place of work, Chelsea's training
ground in Surrey.
He trained alone on one of the academy pitches with
fitness coach Chris Jones for 45 minutes before making it clear the
prospect of winning the Champions League had supplied the
motivation for his shock transfer request. The Spanish striker also
admitted he realised last summer he had to leave
Anfield.
'The Champions League is a big ambition and all the
footballers want to play in it,' said Torres. 'I have a very bad
memory of the semi-final of the Champions League in my first season
in England when Chelsea beat us and they played the final.
Hopefully now I'm here we can go through to the final together and
win.
'Chelsea have the chance every season to win all the
trophies that they play for, so when you have the chance to play in
a team like this you cannot say no. I felt from last summer that I
needed a step forward in my career.
'I am joining a team that is at the top level, there is
not another level after Chelsea. I am joining with big names like
Terry, Lampard, Drogba and Anelka and I can be part of this great
team.
'I wanted to join because Chelsea always have shown a big
respect for me. They really want me and it is important when you
have the support of the people in the club, and the support of the
fans who always showed respect to me when I came to Stamford Bridge
and at Anfield. Now I am very happy to be a Chelsea player.'
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Ancelotti will formally introduce Torres to his new
team-mates today, when David Luiz is also expected to train after
Roman Abramovich's personal intervention oiled his on-off transfer
from Benfica, just four hours before Monday's deadline.
Abramovich is understood to have made a call instructing
the club to increase its offer for Luiz by £5m and match the asking
price. The £75m outlay in a single day equals what the club's
Russian owner has spent over the previous three years.
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said: 'Carlo is over
the moon. He did say we needed to bring in a couple of players and
I said six months ago that, if we had to bring someone in, then it
would be a big signing. We are in fantastic shape.'
