Michael Ballack's name was noticeably absent from Chelsea's squad
list for the UEFA Champions League group stages.
Last Friday was the date for the submission of the list and
Chelsea's medical staff could not guarantee Ballack would recover
in time, from ankle surgery, to play any part in the Group B
matches.
The group stages conclude on 11th December, with Chelsea to play
Valencia, Schalke and Rosenborg home and away.
Chelsea have confirmed that they are hopeful Ballack will be
available for the latter stages of the competition.
"Naturally, we hope Michael's recovery is as quick as possible,
that he returns to full training ahead of schedule and that he will
then be available for the latter stages of the competition, should
we qualify," read a statement from Chelsea.
The 31-year-old has not played since April and will now definately
not feature in Europe until February at the earliest.
He has, though, according to reports, been pencilled in for a
domestic return at the end of October.
