Ancelotti dismisses talk of a January bid for striker Torres
CHELSEA vs SPARTAK MOSCOW
CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out a January bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres as his side look to clinch their place in the knockout stages tonight.
The Blues have hardly struggled for goals this season, hitting eight on their way to maximum points from three games in Group F. A draw against Spartak Moscow would be enough to confirm their passage to the last 16, while victory would virtually assure them of top spot.
Either way Ancelotti is confident enough in his squad to dismiss rumours Chelsea could revive their interest in Spain star Torres during the next transfer window.
“I always said that Torres is not our aim for the future because we have trust in a lot of young players,” he said. “We also have fantastic strikers in Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou and young players like Daniel Sturridge and Gael Kakuta.
“So in this moment we don’t really need to have a fantastic striker, like Fernando Torres. We can be competitive in all competitions with this squad. The most important thing is to avoid injury, when possible.”
Midfielder Frank Lampard is not quite fit enough to return tonight at Stamford Bridge but is in contention to face Liverpool on Sunday.