Bridge has spent much of the season on the
sidelines
Wayne Bridge's long-running battle with Ashley Cole is
entering crunch time at Chelsea, with the former Southampton
defender hoping to establish first-choice status before the January
transfer window opens. The 27-year-old has been out for most of the
season through injury and suspension but is available to face Wigan
tomorrow and impatient to put down a marker for the rest of the
season.
Bridge played second fiddle to Cole under Jose Mourinho and had to
accept the position because his rival was one of the Portuguese's
major signings. But new manager Avram Grant has brought a fresh
start and Bridge is optimistic of moving ahead of his rival in the
pecking order after earning rave reviews from team-mates and fans
when he played last season.
His only start of the season came against Schalke last week after a
hip operation and a ban from a reserveteam sending-off sidelined
him. Bridge looked like he had never been away and his ProZone
statistics highlighted his deceptive speed and the many runs he
makes.
The ankle injury Cole sustained with England last month means he
will not be ready to play tomorrow but could be fit for the
Champions League return to Schalke next week, forcing Grant to show
who he favours at left-back. Bridge said: I just want to play and
I am going to be battling for a place. I want to make up for lost
time. It was brilliant to come back against Schalke and I think
the manager was pleased with me. It has been really frustrating on
the sidelines but the suspension killed me because I could have
played three more games. With Ashley injured it was a
nightmare.
Bridge's suspension did not apply to Champions League games but it
prevented him from playing against Middlesbrough, Manchester City
and Leicester when Chelsea didn't have another recognised left-back
available. He was sent off for a high challenge in a reserve match
last month and claimed the decision made this the most frustrating
start to a season in his career.
Bridge said: It was a bad decision by the referee and the timing
of it killed me. It would have been nice coming back from injury to
get playing again with a new manager. Grant has made it clear the
squad will have to get used to his penchant for rotation. However,
Bridge is aiming for an extended run in the team and, even though
he has three years left on his contract, is in great demand outside
Stamford Bridge, with Manchester City and West Ham preparing to
move for him in January.
