To switch such an important fixture to a Bank Holiday Monday just demonstrates how much television controls our football and as a consequence the travelling Chelsea faithful face an arduous journey through all the holiday traffic and arriving home during the early hours of the morning. 

We almost have a fully fit squad to choose from and although Ballack picked up a knock against Liverpool he should be ok. 

Viduka is available for the Magpies after warding off the final effects of an Achilles injury and Milner (foot), Faye (groin) and Edgar (head)(???) are also available but Carr is doubtful. 

Shevchenko, Anelka, Bridge and Mikel for example haven’t played great parts in recent fixtures and I wouldn’t be surprised if Grant makes a few changes for this game (although I would hope that any surgery isn’t too drastic until the Wigan game - depending on the result of this match).  We must also bear in mind that Arsenal are just 1 point behind and who wants to have to play a CL preliminary qualifying match?! 

It really has been quite an incredible season for us – all and sundry (including myself and many other Chelsea fans) didn’t give us a chance in bringing a 3^rd PL title in 4 seasons back to SW6 given the circumstances of upheaval and key injuries during the first 60% or so of the season.  Man Utd were playing “out of this world” according to many and Arsenal were supposedly "deservedly" at the pinnacle of the league as they were continuing to dazzle with their brand of precise flowing football (even if it wasn’t largely in evidence as previous seasons, the media did their best to tell us it was so!).  

Yet here we are, pushing the “out of this worlders” and ahead of the “Bobby dazzlers” DESPITE all our troubles.  And how is this so?  Does a certain almost previously unknown Israeli in Avram Grant deserve credit for not only steadying the ship but also giving us that certain something to maintain pressure in the league until the bitter end?  Or is the team on auto-pilot still playing with the Mourinho ethos firmly entrenched in their psyche?  (My own feeling). 

This is something that could be debated (again) in the near future – perhaps now is not the time to open up certain divisions which have only been hurriedly patched up in order to avoid free-fall into the abyss. 

Due to so many injuries during the first few laps of the season we find ourselves in the position where many players are much fresher than they would have been - and they’ll need to be - Newcastle are the most in-form team of the league and St James Park is never an easy place to go to when we need points.   

We lost the league last season due to unexpected key injuries – to win it this time despite an even worse run of luck would require the squad to add the final touches to the Herculean effort they have made so far combined with a little dose of lady luck.   

I normally possess an optimistic outlook but this time my tea leaves indicate we have gone as far as we can take it in the league.  True, we have the momentum, but it has been one hell of a slog to get where are and I just wonder after last weeks events at Stamford Bridge against Liverpool just how many of our players will have their minds in Moscow. 

Let’s just hope that the squad don’t have the same feeling that I have and go out there and bring back the 3 points...after all...you just never know what might happen next weekend.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Hilario, Belletti, Ferreira, Carvalho, Alex, Ben-Haim, Terry, A Cole, Bridge, J Cole, Ballack, Essien, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Malouda, Kalou, Anelka, Drogba, Shevchenko, Obi, Makelele.  

Newcastle (from): Harper, Forster, Beye, Enrique, Taylor, Faye, Edgar, Cacapa, Butt, N'Zogbia, Duff, Barton, Geremi, Milner, Owen, Smith, Martins, Viduka, Carroll.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS

• Think you know your sport? Click here to try the Sportnetwork Prize Quizzes