ANCELOTTI PICKS MIKEL FOR CARDIFF FA CUP TIE

http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Mikel.jpg Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotto, has disclosed that Nigerian international, John Mikel Obi, would be in the starting line-up for the fifth round of the English FA Cup against Cardiff City at Stamford Bridge today.

The Blues further disclosed that they would be without embattled captain John Terry, given compassionate leave, and the injured Ashley Cole, just as goalkeeper Petr Cech and striker Nicolas Anelka were also absent from the team.

According to hom: 'We'll play Hilario in goal, Paulo Ferreira, Alex, Ricardo Carvalho and Yury Zhirkov; Frank Lampard, John Obi Mikel, Michael Ballack; Daniel Sturridge, Joe Cole and Didier Drogba up front.

'The bench will be Ross Turnbull, Jeffrey Bruma, Branislav Ivanovic, Florent Malouda, Nemanja Matic, Fabio Borini and Salomon Kalou. It's a very important competition. We won it last year, I was not here and we have a great opportunity to go forward in this competition.

'We know Cardiff will come to do their best. They have a good team and a lot of passion around them. We have to pay attention. We want to come back to win after the defeat against Everton.

'I said that the FA Cup is a fantastic opportunity for all the teams to play their best. They are followed with a lot of passion around them, and they have good quality, They have two fantastic strikers and score a lot of goals in the Championship. We have to pay attention,' he added.