Frank Set to Break Appearance Record

By 40 Years A Blue
November 26 2005

Unless Frank has fallen ill since travelling to Portsmouth yesterday in readiness for today's match at Fratton Park you can expect him to break David James' consectutive Premiership appearance record by starting his 160th Premiership match for Chelsea.

I would imagine Fratton Park will be a ground full of emotion before this evening's game as Pompey's chairman Milan Mandaric leads the tributes and minute's silence for his good and close friend George Best who sadly passed away yesterday. This past week probably hasn't been the best that Mandaric has known. Portsmouth in Premiership free-fall, the sacking of Perrin, the death of Best and now facing the Premiership Champions and current Premiership leaders.

Chelsea returned from Champions League action relatively unscathed. Makelele and Johnson, who were not part of Wednesday night's win are definitely out. Robben is struggling with a hamstring injury, but Didier Drogba is expected to feature at some point in the match. Whether he starts remains to be seen. As Hernan 'Hello Hello' Crespo has scored two in two I expect Crespo to keep his place.

Cech, Gallas, Terry, Carvalho, Del Horno, Essien, Lampard, Gudjohsen, Duff, J Cole, Crespo

40 YEARS A BLUE!