Inter Milan v Chelsea preview
Mourinho: To face former club
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Jose Mourinho will be hoping to mastermind the downfall of his former club when Inter Milan entertain Chelsea on Wednesday night.
Anticipation has been building since December's draw for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League pitted two of Europe's heavyweights against each other.
The tie has added intrigue due to the presence of Mourinho in the Inter dugout and he will want to take control in the first leg on Italian soil to ensure that his return to Stamford Bridge next month is a triumphant one.
Mourinho led the Blues to back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 and has enjoyed similar domestic glory with the Nerazzurri.
But Inter have struggled to make an impact in the Champions League in recent years and could not have been handed a much tougher route through to the quarter-finals after finishing second to Barcelona in a group that also contained Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Kiev and then being pitted against Chelsea.
The Blues enjoyed a more straightforward passage from the group phase and have maintained their fine form at home to stay top of the Premier League.
Success on the pitch has been somewhat overshadowed by matters away from the field with stories about the personal lives of key players dominating the newspapers.
But Carlo Ancelotti has kept his focus on the clash with Inter and has also tried not to be drawn into any mind games with Mourinho ahead of his first competitive game back in Italy since leaving AC Milan for Chelsea last summer.
Chelsea news
Ancelotti will be without a recognised left-back for the match as Ashley Cole is a long-term absentee with a broken ankle and Yuri Zhirkov has a calf injury.
Paulo Ferreira could have been an option for Ancelotti but he is not registered for the competition.
Juliano Belletti is back in the squad along with Alex and Frank Lampard has also been declared fit after recovering from the virus that kept him out against Wolves on Saturday.
Jose Bosingwa, Michael Essien and Deco (all knee) all remain sidelined.
Inter news
Julio Cesar was involved in a minor car accident over the weekend but is expected to be fit to take his place in goal for Inter.
Cristian Chivu is out with a fractured skull and David Santon has a knee problem, so Javier Zanetti will line up on the left side of defence.
Dejan Stankovic, Sulley Muntari and McDonald Mariga are pushing for places in midfield, while Samuel Eto'o should partner Diego Milito up front.
Mario Balotelli is also back from injury and could feature.
skysports
Mourinho: To face former club
Related links
Teams
Jose Mourinho will be hoping to mastermind the downfall of his former club when Inter Milan entertain Chelsea on Wednesday night.
Anticipation has been building since December's draw for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League pitted two of Europe's heavyweights against each other.
The tie has added intrigue due to the presence of Mourinho in the Inter dugout and he will want to take control in the first leg on Italian soil to ensure that his return to Stamford Bridge next month is a triumphant one.
Mourinho led the Blues to back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 and has enjoyed similar domestic glory with the Nerazzurri.
But Inter have struggled to make an impact in the Champions League in recent years and could not have been handed a much tougher route through to the quarter-finals after finishing second to Barcelona in a group that also contained Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Kiev and then being pitted against Chelsea.
The Blues enjoyed a more straightforward passage from the group phase and have maintained their fine form at home to stay top of the Premier League.
Success on the pitch has been somewhat overshadowed by matters away from the field with stories about the personal lives of key players dominating the newspapers.
But Carlo Ancelotti has kept his focus on the clash with Inter and has also tried not to be drawn into any mind games with Mourinho ahead of his first competitive game back in Italy since leaving AC Milan for Chelsea last summer.
Chelsea news
Ancelotti will be without a recognised left-back for the match as Ashley Cole is a long-term absentee with a broken ankle and Yuri Zhirkov has a calf injury.
Paulo Ferreira could have been an option for Ancelotti but he is not registered for the competition.
Juliano Belletti is back in the squad along with Alex and Frank Lampard has also been declared fit after recovering from the virus that kept him out against Wolves on Saturday.
Jose Bosingwa, Michael Essien and Deco (all knee) all remain sidelined.
Inter news
Julio Cesar was involved in a minor car accident over the weekend but is expected to be fit to take his place in goal for Inter.
Cristian Chivu is out with a fractured skull and David Santon has a knee problem, so Javier Zanetti will line up on the left side of defence.
Dejan Stankovic, Sulley Muntari and McDonald Mariga are pushing for places in midfield, while Samuel Eto'o should partner Diego Milito up front.
Mario Balotelli is also back from injury and could feature.
skysports
