Daniel Sturridge

Full Name	Daniel Sturridge
Birth Date	September 1, 1989
Birth Place	Birmingham
Height	1.78m

Weight	76 kg
Age	20
Position	Forward
Squad No	23

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that Daniel Sturridge has agreed to join the club on a four-year contract. 

The 20-year-old previously played for Manchester City, where he first burst onto the first team scene in the 2007/08 season, scoring twice in four days in January for Sven Goran Eriksson's side, including an important equaliser at Derby County to earn a point.

Within months he was well known among Chelsea supporters, scoring City's goal in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup Final, a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Absent through injury from the second leg, Daniel saw his team-mates eventually defeat us 3-1 on the night to take the trophy.

A nephew of former Derby forward Dean Sturridge, Daniel arrived at City's Academy in 2003 from Coventry, having previously trained with Aston Villa.

He graduated to the senior squad at the beginning of the 2006/07 season and after injuries hampered his speedy progress, a hat-trick in the reserves prompted a debut in February 2007 as a late substitute.

Last season he was a more regular fixture in and around Mark Hughes's squad, netting four times in 26 appearances, 10 of which were starts, and was voted City's Young Player of the Year.

In January 2010, a tribunal decided that Chelsea must pay Manchester City an initial transfer fee of £3.5m, rising to £6.5m depending on appearances for club and the senior England team.
Daniel has represented England at Under 21 level.

2009/10 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	1	7	0	0	11	5	1	3	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	2	0	3	0	5	1	1	1	0	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	1	0	0	0	4	2	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	World Football Challenge	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	2	1	0
2009/10 Season Totals		5	9	3	0	22	8	2	7	1	0

2008/09 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
England	UEFA Under 19 Championship	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Manchester City	UEFA Cup	3	2	0	1	7	0	3	7	0	0
Manchester City	English Carling Cup	1	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0
Manchester City	English FA Cup	1	0	0	0	7	3	0	2	0	0
Manchester City	Premier League	3	13	4	3	22	9	6	9	0	0
2008/09 Season Totals		11	15	5	4	38	13	9	18	0	0

2007/08 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Manchester City	Premier League	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	0	0
Manchester City	English FA Cup	0	1	1	0	1	1	1	2	0	0
2007/08 Season Totals		2	2	2	1	2	2	2	4	0	0

2006/07 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Manchester City	English FA Cup	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Manchester City	Premier League	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Glossary

GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal, YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides, W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Losses

Salomon Kalou

Full Name	Salomon Kalou
Birth Date	August 5, 1985
Birth Place	Oume, Ivory Coast
Height	1.78m

Weight	70.6 kg
Age	24
Position	Forward
Squad No	21

A pacy and dangerous performer, Chelsea forward Kalou is a player who has developed greatly since his surprise £9 million signing from Feyenoord in May 2006, and he remains firmly in the Blues' first-team plans. Kalou can play on the wing or in a deep-lying role, making him a versatile weapon.

His Chelsea career started slowly yet in the second half of his debut season he began to impress. That improvement continued during the 2007-08 season when he regularly featured on the left wing of a front three or as an impact sub, a role he is still used in by Carlo Ancelotti.

Kalou, who scored 35 goals in 65 appearances for Feyenoord, was born in Ivory Coast but failed in a bid to obtain Dutch nationality in order to play for Holland at the 2006 World Cup. He eventually opted to play for the Ivory Coast and finally made his debut in February 2007 in a friendly against Guinea. He represented the Elephants at the 2008 Olympics, netting two goals in four games, and the 2008 African Nations Cup, scoring a screamer against Nigeria in the opening match.

Strengths: Blistering pace and a willingness to run at players and take them on. Kalou is a perfect player for the counter-attacking football the Ivory Coast are likely to employ against the bigger teams at the World Cup.


Weaknesses: Goalscoring. Though he was a prolific scorer at Feyenoord, his ability to find the net appears to have waned.

Career High: Winning the Johan Cruyff Award for best young talent in the Eredivisie in 2005. Kalou joined the ranks of past winners Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars and Clarence Seedorf, as well as becoming only the second non-Dutch player to win the award after Jon Dahl Tomasson in 1996.

Career Low: Having his application for Dutch citizenship rejected after an intense media campaign to get him playing for the Holland national team failed. Holland's loss is Ivory Coast's gain
.
Style: Pacy winger-cum-striker, happy to take on players and a vital part of any counter-attack.

Quotes: "Salomon is an important player for this club. He is always well motivated and works hard at his game. Because of this, I'm sure he will become an even more important player for us in the future." Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, October 2009.

Trivia: Kalou's brother, Bonaventure, also plays professional football - for Dutch team Heerenveen. Bonaventure played at the 2006 World Cup for the Elephants and had Kalou obtained Dutch citizenship, the two could have been the first brothers in history to face each other at a World Cup finals, with the Dutch drawn in the same group as the Ivory Coast.

Soccernet says: The pacy Kalou will prove the perfect attacking foil for Didier Drogba. The fact that the two are so accustomed to playing together at Chelsea will be hugely beneficial to the Elephants, and expect this to be potentially one of the most potent strike forces at the finals.

2010/11 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Ivory Coast	African Nations Cup	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ivory Coast	African Nations Cup	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2010/11 Season Totals		2	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0

2009/10 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	World Football Challenge	2	0	0	0	2	2	1	1	0	0
Ivory Coast	World Cup Qualifying - CAF	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ivory Coast	World Cup Qualifying - CAF	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	4	0	2	0	9	4	9	3	1	0
Chelsea	Premier League	6	6	0	2	19	3	11	2	1	0
Ivory Coast	International Friendly	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Chelsea	English FA Community Shield	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	3	0	3	0	6	3	3	2	0	0
2009/10 Season Totals		22	7	5	2	36	12	24	8	3	0

2008/09 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	2	0	1	2	4	1	2	3	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	5	1	2	3	6	1	5	4	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	17	10	6	4	47	16	25	21	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	6	2	1	1	6	5	10	7	1	0
Ivory Coast	Men's Olympic Tournament	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Ivory Coast	World Cup Qualifying - CAF	3	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2008/09 Season Totals		37	14	14	10	63	23	42	35	3	0

2007/08 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	Premier League	24	6	7	9	42	25	28	34	1	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	5	6	1	0	17	5	14	9	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	2	1	1	1	4	3	1	5	0	0
2007/08 Season Totals		31	13	9	10	63	33	43	48	1	0

2006/07 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English FA Cup	1	6	1	2	7	3	4	7	1	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	2	9	0	0	8	4	6	0	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Community Shield	0	1	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	3	3	1	3	4	1	5	7	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	19	14	7	5	44	25	43	22	0	0
2006/07 Season Totals		25	33	9	10	63	33	62	36	1	0

2005/06 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Feyenoord Rotterdam	Dutch Eredivisie	34	2	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Feyenoord Rotterdam	UEFA Cup	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2005/06 Season Totals		36	2	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

2004/05 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Feyenoord Rotterdam	UEFA Cup	6	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Feyenoord Rotterdam	Dutch Eredivisie	26	5	20	0	0	0	0	0	2	0

Glossary

GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal, YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides, W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Losses

Didier Drogba

Full Name	Didier Drogba
Birth Date	March 11, 1978
Birth Place	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height	1.88m

Weight	83.8 kg
Age	31
Position	Forward
Squad No	11

Undoubtedly one of the best centre forwards in the world today, Drogba still manages to polarise opinion with his theatrical and temperamental style of play taking the shine off the powerful striker's incredible talent. Drogba moved from his native Ivory Coast to France in 1988, living with his uncle in order to pursue a career in football. He started his career at Dunkirk before moving to Abbeville, Levallois and Le Mans.

But it was after a move to Guingamp that he really began to catch the eye, netting 17 goals in their 2002-03 Ligue 1 campaign before signing for Marseille - where he scored 19 goals in 35 appearances during his one season there. Chelsea and Jose Mourinho then came knocking and smashed the British transfer record for a striker, paying £24 million for his services in 2004. Drogba scored 16 goals in each of the next two seasons, helping Chelsea win back-to-back Premier League titles, before netting 33 in all competitions in 2006-07- his most prolific campaign to date.

Injuries have since hampered him but when he has been on form, there are few defenders who can stop him, and he now looks rejuvenated under new Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti. Drogba made his international debut in 2002 and is now the Elephant's leading all-time goalscorer - leading them as captain to a first ever World Cup appearance in 2006 and netting their first goal in the competition.

Strengths: Aerial prowess and power; there are few players in the world as strong.

Weaknesses: Temperament, propensity to dive and over-exaggerate tackles and confrontations, as well as a lack of pace.

Career High: Winning the 2006 African Footballer of the Year award after helping Chelsea to win a second successive Premier League title and captaining the Elephants to their maiden World Cup finals.

Career Low: Being sent-off in the Champions League final against Manchester United in 2008 after slapping Nemanja Vidic.

Style: Robust, bustling centre forward who harasses his markers. But he is excellent with the ball at his feet and a strong finisher with the ability to use both feet.

Quotes: "He reminds me of the great players. If he is feeling a good sensation about the game, if he is confident, he is impossible to play against. I used to play with Marco van Basten. He always thought he would score, and he was usually right. When he is at his best, Drogba can be like that." Carlo Ancelotti, September 2009.

Trivia: Drogba began his professional career playing at right back for French side Dunkirk.

Soccernet says: Drogba is without doubt the Elephants' most important asset. One of the world's best strikers, his team-mates will be looking for him to inspire from the front, take the lead and grab those oh-so-precious goals.

2010/11 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Ivory Coast	African Nations Cup	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ivory Coast	African Nations Cup	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2010/11 Season Totals		3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

2009/10 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	World Football Challenge	2	0	2	0	3	3	3	2	0	0
Ivory Coast	World Cup Qualifying - CAF	3	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ivory Coast	World Cup Qualifying - CAF	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	3	0	3	0	17	7	4	5	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	19	0	15	5	109	45	37	30	6	0
Chelsea	English FA Community Shield	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	0	2	2	0	1	1	5	3	0	0
2009/10 Season Totals		30	3	27	5	130	56	49	40	6	0

2008/09 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	2	0	1	0	2	0	2	4	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	5	1	3	0	15	10	7	9	1	0
Chelsea	Premier League	15	9	5	4	58	17	35	31	1	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	7	3	5	1	25	14	15	23	2	0
Ivory Coast	World Cup Qualifying - CAF	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2008/09 Season Totals		30	13	16	5	100	41	59	67	4	0

2007/08 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	11	0	6	2	45	20	35	27	0	1
Ivory Coast	International Friendly	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	17	2	8	6	58	29	45	26	6	1
Chelsea	English FA Cup	0	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	0
2007/08 Season Totals		28	3	16	8	104	50	81	53	6	2

2006/07 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English FA Cup	6	0	3	2	17	6	14	10	1	0
Chelsea	Premier League	32	4	20	4	111	46	58	50	9	0
Ivory Coast	World Cup	2	0	1	0	8	3	3	7	2	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	3	2	4	2	12	8	4	5	0	0
Ivory Coast	International Friendly	3	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	12	0	6	1	35	7	27	0	2	0
Ivory Coast	African Nations Cup	5	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Chelsea	English FA Community Shield	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	0
2006/07 Season Totals		64	7	39	9	184	71	107	72	15	0

2005/06 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English FA Community Shield	1	0	2	0	1	1	3	2	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	5	2	1	0	7	2	17	0	1	0
Ivory Coast	International Friendly	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	0	1	0	0	1	1	1	2	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	20	9	12	11	66	35	38	38	7	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	3	0	1	0	9	4	7	6	2	0
2005/06 Season Totals		31	12	17	11	84	43	66	48	10	0

2004/05 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English FA Cup	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	18	8	10	5	64	32	42	34	2	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	8	1	5	0	8	2	14	0	2	1
2004/05 Season Totals		30	11	16	5	72	34	56	34	6	1

2003/04 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Marseille	UEFA Champions League	7	1	5	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Marseille	UEFA Cup	7	1	6	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Marseille	French Ligue 1	29	5	19	0	0	0	0	0	3	1
2003/04 Season Totals		43	7	30	0	0	0	0	0	7	1

2002/03 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Guingamp	French Ligue 1	26	7	16	0	0	0	0	0	5	0

Glossary

GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal, YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides, W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Losses

Nicolas Anelka

Full Name	Nicolas Anelka
Birth Date	March 14, 1979
Birth Place	Versailles, France
Height	1.83m

Weight	78.1 kg
Age	30
Position	Forward
Squad No	39

Despite being one of the most naturally talented French players of his generation, and a prolific scorer during various spells in the Premier League, Anelka's international career has been punctuated by disappointment and lengthy spells of exile. Indeed, prior to the 2010 campaign, Anelka had never featured in an official World Cup match, whether at the finals or in qualifying. His only contributions at a major tournament have been as a member of the squad that triumphed at Euro 2000, when he was dropped for the final, and then eight years later in Austria and Switzerland as France failed to make it out of their group.

Marked out as a special talent at a young age at Paris Saint Germain, a 17-year-old Anelka soon became one of the early signings of the Arsene Wenger era when joining Arsenal in February 1997 for a fee of just £500,000. He won the Double in 1998 but he agitated for a move after being named PFA Young Player of the Year in 1999 and the man dubbed 'Le Sulk' joined Real Madrid for a fee of £23.5 million. Although he won the Champions League in 2000, Anelka was a disruptive influence and there begun a peripatetic career that took the wandering striker to Paris Saint Germain, Liverpool (on loan), Manchester City, Fenerbahce and Bolton, before he joined Chelsea in January 2008 for £15 million.

A lengthy debate regarding whether Anelka could play with Didier Drogba has been firmly settled in the affirmative, with the two striking up a formidable partnership. A more mature man, Anelka has shed the attitude problems that afflicted his early career and he may grow to regret his lengthy absence from the national setup. When he scored twice in a friendly win against England in February 1999 he looked like the next great France striker, but between a victory at Euro 2000 and his participation at Euro 2008, Anelka did not appear at a major finals for his country, due in part to clashes with senior management and concerns over his unsettled club career. Missing out on the 2006 World Cup was a huge disappointment and South Africa is his first chance to shine on the biggest stage of all.

Strengths: With power, pace, poise, technique and an unerring finish, Anelka is the very archetype of a modern striker. He is dangerous in the air and his clever movement helps him give defenders the slip.

Weaknesses: He lacks the dominant presence of his club team-mate, Drogba, or the dynamism of a Fernando Torres. Anelka has displayed a petulant streak in the past and has struggled to integrate into various dressing rooms. However, these negative attributes have dimmed with his growing maturity.

Career high: Winning the Double in his first full season at Arsenal. Anelka enjoyed a breakthrough year under Arsene Wenger and started the FA Cup final, scoring the second goal in a 2-0 win over Newcastle United.

Career low: After initially ducking the chance to take the penalty from which John Terry famously slipped in the shoot-out in Moscow in 2008, Anelka then saw his later effort saved by Edwin van der Sar to hand the Champions League trophy to Manchester United.

Style: Direct, deadly, elusive, an dangerous striker.

Quotes: "He is a fantastic striker, he has great quality and has it all. I wanted to buy him when I trained Juventus. I spoke with his brother but we could not agree. I don't know where he was, he changed a lot of clubs! Now he has found the right place to stay, because he will stay with us for a long time." Carlo Ancelotti, October 2009.

Trivia:Anelka's brother, Claude, was made Raith Rovers manager in the summer of 2004 in return for an investment of £300,000 and was a complete failure, unsurprisingly given his total lack of coaching experience.

Soccernet says: After waiting so long to appear at a World Cup finals, Anelka will be desperate to impress but he could suffer from being in a France team that is far from convincing under Raymond Domenech.

2009/10 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
France	World Cup Qualifying - UEFA	6	0	2	1	22	12	5	7	0	0
Chelsea	World Football Challenge	1	1	0	0	4	1	2	0	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	4	1	3	0	13	7	6	2	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	19	1	8	4	67	31	14	21	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Community Shield	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	1	0	1	0	5	4	0	1	0	0
France	International Friendly	3	0	0	0	2	2	1	1	0	0
2009/10 Season Totals		35	3	14	5	113	57	28	32	0	0

2008/09 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
France	International Friendly	3	2	0	1	7	1	0	6	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	5	0	4	1	12	4	5	6	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	33	4	19	2	111	52	27	27	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	8	4	2	2	19	5	14	18	2	0
France	European Championship	1	2	0	0	3	0	3	1	0	0
France	World Cup Qualifying - UEFA	0	2	1	0	3	3	0	0	0	0
France	European Championship Qualifying	6	1	4	0	18	14	9	3	0	0
2008/09 Season Totals		56	15	30	6	173	79	58	61	2	0

2007/08 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	0	5	0	1	2	0	0	1	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	2	1	1	1	6	6	4	1	0	0
Bolton Wanderers	UEFA Cup	1	1	0	0	4	2	0	6	0	0
France	International Friendly	2	2	0	0	3	3	2	0	1	0
Chelsea	Premier League	10	4	1	5	31	20	15	11	0	0
Bolton Wanderers	Premier League	18	0	10	3	43	30	16	25	1	0
2007/08 Season Totals		33	13	12	10	89	61	37	44	2	0

2006/07 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Bolton Wanderers	Premier League	35	0	11	7	80	42	34	45	0	0
France	International Friendly	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bolton Wanderers	English FA Cup	2	1	0	0	2	0	7	4	1	0
Bolton Wanderers	English Carling Cup	1	0	1	0	4	3	0	2	0	0
Fenerbahce	UEFA Champions League	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2006/07 Season Totals		40	2	12	7	86	45	41	51	1	0

2005/06 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Fenerbahce	UEFA Champions League	6	0	0	1	12	4	6	0	0	0
France	International Friendly	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2005/06 Season Totals		7	1	1	1	12	4	6	0	0	0

2004/05 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Manchester City	Premier League	18	1	7	3	38	23	14	21	0	0
Fenerbahce	UEFA Cup	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2004/05 Season Totals		20	1	7	3	38	23	14	21	0	0

2003/04 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Manchester City	UEFA Cup	5	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Manchester City	English FA Cup	4	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Manchester City	English Carling Cup	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Manchester City	Premier League	31	1	17	5	99	99	25	39	1	1
2003/04 Season Totals		42	1	25	5	99	99	25	39	2	1

2002/03 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Manchester City	Premier League	38	0	14	6	124	78	0	0	0	0
Manchester City	English Carling Cup	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Manchester City	English FA Cup	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
France	International Friendly	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2002/03 Season Totals		42	0	14	6	124	78	0	0	0	0

2001/02 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Paris Saint-Germain	UEFA Cup	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Liverpool	English FA Cup	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Liverpool	Premier League	13	7	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Glossary

GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal, YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides, W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Losses

Yuri Zhirkov

Full Name	Yuri Zhirkov
Birth Date	August 20, 1983
Birth Place	Tambov, Russia
Height	1.78m

Weight	75 kg
Age	26
Position	Midfielder
Squad No	18

Zhirkov moved to Chelsea in July 2009 from CSKA Moscow in a deal believed to be worth in the region of £18m.

The Russia international made the move after a five-year stint with CSKA. He joined them in 2004 from Spartak Tambov. He made his debut for Tambov in 2001 and scored 26 goals in 74 games for the Russian third division outfit.

But it was at CSKA where he cemented his place as a wide man with a deft left foot, lightning pace and exceptional dribbling ability - scoring 15 goals in 139 appearances for the club.

He can play left-back but is comfortable in any position on that wing and it was as a more attacking midfielder that he won the UEFA Cup in 2005 after scoring during a 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in the final.

Zhirkov made his Russia debut in 2005 against Italy and has since made 31 appearances for his country - the majority of which have come under Chelsea's former interim boss Guus Hiddink.

He was named in the Euro 2008 'Team of the Tournament' after an impressive contribution throughout the competition as a wing-back when Russia were the surprise package in making the semi-finals. They lost to eventual winners Spain.

Zhirkov won the Russian Premier League twice with CSKA in 2005 and 2006 and has three Russian Cups to his name, in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

2009/10 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	World Football Challenge	1	0	1	0	3	1	1	0	0	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	2	0	0	0	1	1	3	2	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	2	0	0	1	4	2	3	4	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	3	3	0	0	2	1	5	8	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	2	1	0	1	1	0	4	3	1	0
Russia	World Cup Qualifying - UEFA	4	0	0	0	2	0	5	0	2	1
2009/10 Season Totals		14	4	1	2	13	5	21	17	3	1

2008/09 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Russia	World Cup Qualifying - UEFA	5	0	0	0	3	0	5	1	0	0
Russia	European Championship Qualifying	9	0	0	3	7	1	10	12	0	0
Russia	International Friendly	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
CSKA Moscow	UEFA Cup	8	1	2	4	16	8	13	13	3	0
Russia	European Championship	5	0	0	1	8	3	13	12	2	0
2008/09 Season Totals		31	1	2	8	34	12	41	38	6	0

2007/08 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Russia	International Friendly	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
CSKA Moscow	UEFA Champions League	6	0	0	1	5	0	6	13	3	0
2007/08 Season Totals		7	0	0	1	5	0	6	13	4	0

2006/07 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
CSKA Moscow	UEFA Champions League	7	1	1	0	0	0	11	0	2	0
CSKA Moscow	UEFA Cup	2	0	0	0	2	1	5	7	0	0
Russia	International Friendly	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CSKA Moscow	Russian Premier League	24	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
2006/07 Season Totals		34	3	1	0	2	1	16	7	7	0

2005/06 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
CSKA Moscow	UEFA Super Cup	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Russia	International Friendly	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
CSKA Moscow	UEFA Cup	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2005/06 Season Totals		6	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

2004/05 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
CSKA Moscow	UEFA Cup	8	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
CSKA Moscow	UEFA Champions League	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0

Glossary

GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal, YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides, W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Losses

Michael Woods

Full Name	Michael Woods
Birth Date	April 6, 1990
Birth Place	York
Height	1.83m

Weight	80 kg
Age	19
Position	Midfielder
Squad No	48

Woods joined Chelsea in controversial circumstances after being plucked from Leeds United in the summer of 2006.

Leeds chairman Ken Bates accused Chelsea of 'tapping up' the player and reported them for it. The two clubs agreed a compensation fee for the midfielder.

He made his Chelsea debut in January 2007 as a 79th minute replacement for Ashley Cole in a 6-1 FA Cup Third Round victory at home to Macclesfield Town. He also appeared as a sub in the Fourth Round win over Nottingham Forest.

Woods, an attacking midfielder, is an England Under-17 international.

2008/09 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2008/09 Season Totals		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

2006/07 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English FA Cup	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Glossary

GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal, YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides, W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Losses

John Obi Mikel

Full Name	John Mikel Obi
Birth Date	April 22, 1987
Birth Place	Jos, Nigeria
Height	1.80m

Weight	81.3 kg
Age	22
Position	Midfielder
Squad No	12

Mikel's strength on the ball and natural aggression make him an asset for both club and country. Mikel began his career with Plateau United in his homeland before spells with Ajax Cape town in South Africa and Norwegian side Lyn Oslo. He fast became one of the most sought-after young players in Europe and in 2005 Manchester United beat a host of interested parties to his signature. But Mikel had other ideas, and despite appearing at a press conference in a United shirt, the midfielder claimed he had been pressured into the move and wanted to move to Chelsea instead.A legal dispute ensued but eventually the Chelsea deal was done, costing the Blues £16 million in a complex move that involved money being paid to both United and Lyn Oslo.


But Jose Mourinho was delighted to get his man and Mikel started 24 games and scored twice in his first season, as well as winning the African Young Player of the Year Award for a second successive time. The midfielder's development continued in 2007-08 but questions continued to be raised about his temperament after he was sent-off against Manchester United and Everton, and he was an unused substitute in Chelsea's Champions League final defeat to United. Michael Essien's injury absence allowed Mikel more playing time in 2008/09 and he seized the opportunity with a string of fine performances. He finished the season being nominated for the club's Player and Young Player of the Season awards. Essien's return has seen Mikel reduced more often to a substitute under Carlo Ancelotti, though he signed a new long-term contract in the summer of 2009.

For Nigeria, he was touted as a future superstar after a series of scintillating displays in the 2005 Under-20 World youth Championships earned him the silver ball for second best player in the tournament, behind Lionel Messi. He played for the Super Eagles in the 2006 and 2008 African Nations Cup, and played seven games of the qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup. The midfielder also courted controversy after refusing to play for the Under-23 side in Olympic qualifiers.

Strengths: Aggressive and fearless in the challenge, Mikel is not just an ankle-biter but has excellent distribution to boot.

Weaknesses: Poor discipline, Mikel has often been criticised for moments of petulance but at the age of 22, they can no longer be explained away as youthful over-exuberance.

Career High: Winning the FA Cup with Chelsea in 2007. Mikel was handed a starting berth after Michael Essien was moved into defence but he took his chance with an excellent performance, playing the entire 120 minutes in the Blues 1-0 extra-time victory over Manchester United.

Career Low: Being sent-off in the 2007 League Cup final against Arsenal in an incident that provoked ugly scenes.

Style: Solid defensive midfielder, at best when deployed in the anchor role in front of the defence.

Quotes: "For the present and for the future he is a very important player for us. I hope that he stays at Chelsea for a lot of years. I would like that he puts in his great quality for the team." Carlo Ancelotti, July 2009.

Trivia: The scout who first recommended Mikel to Chelsea was Piet de Visser, who is also credited with bringing Brazilian superstars Romario and Ronaldo to Europe.

Soccernet says: Controversy has never been far behind Mikel, but the 22-year-old is an undeniable talent and has the chance to let his feet do the talking at the 2010 finals. Some of Mikel's finest performances for Chelsea have come in the Champions League and he does seem to thrive on the big stage. Will need to be on top form and must keep his cool but is a crucial player for the Super Eagles.

2010/11 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Nigeria	African Nations Cup	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nigeria	African Nations Cup	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2010/11 Season Totals		4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

2009/10 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	World Football Challenge	2	0	0	0	1	0	7	7	0	0
Nigeria	World Cup Qualifying - CAF	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	2	0	0	0	0	0	5	4	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	10	4	0	0	10	1	24	19	1	0
Chelsea	English FA Community Shield	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	2	0	0	0	2	2	4	3	0	0
2009/10 Season Totals		19	4	0	0	13	3	40	33	1	0

2008/09 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	1	0	0
Chelsea	English FA Cup	5	0	0	0	3	0	6	15	3	0
Chelsea	Premier League	33	1	0	2	33	6	63	59	6	0
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	9	0	0	0	6	0	22	18	1	0
Nigeria	World Cup Qualifying - CAF	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Nigeria	International Friendly	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2008/09 Season Totals		51	3	0	2	43	6	93	93	11	0

2007/08 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	1	3	0	0	0	0	9	3	0	0
Chelsea	Premier League	21	8	0	0	14	5	43	46	5	1
Chelsea	English FA Cup	2	0	0	0	1	0	8	2	0	0
2007/08 Season Totals		24	11	0	0	15	5	60	51	5	1

2006/07 Statistics
TEAM	Competition	GS	SB	G	A	SH	SG	FC	FS	YC	RC
Nigeria	African Nations Cup	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Chelsea	English FA Community Shield	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
Chelsea	English Carling Cup	3	1	0	0	8	2	3	5	1	1
Chelsea	English FA Cup	5	1	2	0	5	3	10	3	2	0
Chelsea	Premier League	10	12	0	3	11	6	13	7	5	1
Chelsea	UEFA Champions League	6	3	0	0	7	1	15	0	1	0

Glossary

GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal, YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides, W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Losses