Bosingwa Recovered for Pompey Match?

New right-back signing Jose Bosingwa may surprisingly be fit for selection for this weekends home game against Portsmouth after sustaining a thigh-strain during pre-season which was initially going to keep him out until our third match against Spurs. Bosingwa limped off just 19 minutes into our first game against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical.

The Portuguese defender trained normally with the rest of the squad during Chelsea Fan Day in front of 14,000 fans yesterday after returning early from the pre-season tour for an intensive recovery programme at the Cobham training and academy complex.

The right-back void has almost always been our achillies heel and forced Mourinho and then later Grant to remove Essien from his essential marauding midfield role to fill in when Ferreira or Belletti have been off form or injured.

The Bosingwa recovery only really leaves Didier Drogba left on the crock list with perhaps Joe Cole and Ballack yet to achieve full fitness and almost leaves Scolari with a midfield that will pick itself for Sunday of Deco, Lampard and Essien.