Chelsea duo to return for topper at Manchester United

By Ben James Nov 23, 2006, 16:07 GMT

Liverpool - Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba should both be fit to line up for Chelsea's Premier League table-topper at Manchester United on Sunday

Drogba, who has been in superb form this season, hobbled off with an injured ankle during Wednesday's 1-0 Champions League defeat at Werder Bremen.

Ballack sustained a gashed calf, but manager Jose Mourinho expects both to have recovered for the game at Old Trafford.

That is a significant boost to the champions, who would pull level with United at the top of the Premiership with a victory.

Chelsea's record at Old Trafford is good as they have lost just three of their past 10 league matches there. United will be aware that in the past decade no side that has gone on to win the title has lost at home to the side that ended up second.

United have no fresh injury problems, but there are concerns about morale after Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League defeat at Celtic Glasgow.

Forward Louis Saha, who had a late penalty saved, said he felt he was 'living in a nightmare' after the miss. It will hardly have helped that full-back Gary Neville apparently told Celtic's Neil Lennon before the kick that he though Saha's 'head had gone'.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, though, was characteristically bullish ahead of the biggest game of the season so far.

'We can put Europe on the backburner and concentrate on Sunday's match, which is massive for us,' he said.

'I am sure it is a game the players will relish given this result.

'We have five days to lift the team now. But if the players have ambitions to win the league they know how important Sunday is and I don't think they will not let anyone down.'

Arsenal were lifted by their 3-1 win over Hamburg in the Champions League on Wednesday, but, 12 points off the top, they need to put a run together soon if they are to have any say in the title race.

The problem is that on Saturday they travel to Bolton, where they have won just one of their last six visits.

'The title is not yet decided,' said manager Arsene Wenger. 'Bolton has been a difficult ground for us, but we will go there looking for a win.'

Struggling Newcastle host third-place Portsmouth, while Aston Villa could climb as high as third if they beat Middlesbrough. At the bottom there is a crucial clash between West Ham and Sheffield United.