Chelsea Coach Ancelotti Clears Up Yuri Zhirkov Injury Doubts

The Russian's fitness is improving...

Chelsea's main piece of summer business, Yuri Zhirkov, is yet to represent the club and repay the £18 million invested in him due to a problematic knee injury.

The immediate future of the left winger, bought from CSKA Moscow where he was dubbed the 'Russian Ronaldinho', was unclear as it was deemed he may require an operation to permanently rid him of the issue, but Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti has allayed those fears.

The Italian is quoted by Sport to have said: "At the moment, we don't think he needs surgery. He's working with the team, yesterday he worked with us.

"We have to control the situation. For the moment, he's not very well but he is improving.

"Next week we have to control his body. If he has improved, he can start to play matches again.

"He didn't play with the national team because he's not fit now, but he is improving. At the moment, he doesn't need surgery."