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Chelsea have been handed a major boost with the news that Michael Ballack has returned to training and is in contention to face Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday.
Ballack was forced to return to London just a few days into the club's pre-season tour to the USA last month after fracturing a toe.
The German midfielder has missed Chelsea's last four friendly games but has made a rapid recovery from the problem.
He put in some physical work on his own at the club's training ground while his team-mates took on Reading at the weekend, however he joined in with the rest of the squad's session as normal yesterday.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Ballack is not only on course to start the Premier League campaign against Hull on 15 August but could face United on Sunday.
He said: "For the next match against United he will be ready."
Ancelotti admits he already has his team in mind that will be good enough to beat Sir Alex Ferguson's side and lay down a marker for the start of the season in the process.
Chelsea have gone five games unbeaten in pre-season so far and Ancelotti added: "I have more or less the team that will play in my mind.
"We have this week before the game and I want to control the physical condition of all my players.
"We have to improve a little over the next week but I'm happy with the condition of the team."
Chelsea will be without Joe Cole due to a long-standing knee problem but have confirmed they will not be selling him to Tottenham.
Standard Sport revealed last month that Spurs were still interested in buying the England winger but that Chelsea were determined to keep him and were close to handing him a new four-year deal.
His latest injury setback put contract talks on hold temporarily, though Chelsea have still taken the unusual step of insisting the former West Ham star is not for sale.
A club statement said: "Chelsea is not, and will not be, considering any offers for Joe Cole. Our sole focus, as is Joe's, is to get him fit as soon as possible."
Chelsea are keen to keep the 27-year-old with their interest in Franck Ribery unlikely to end with a successful transfer from Bayern Munich.
The French international, who is set to miss the start of the Bundesliga season on Saturday due to a minor knee injury, has been valued at a massive 100million euros by the German club, which Chelsea won't pay.
Meanwhile, striker Franco di Santo, 20, has joined Blackburn on loan until 1 January.
The Blues hope he will gain vital first-team experience before returning ahead of the African Nations' Cup, which will see forwards Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou absent for around six weeks.
Kalou has been strongly linked with an £8m move to Arsenal but has insisted he is looking forward to playing in Chelsea's new system with two strikers up front this season.
Reader views (3)
Neil, the thing with Ballack is that even if he is having a bad game he is rarely dominated by his opposing number and as much as I like Parker that cannot be said about him. On top of that Ballack covers a hell of a lot of ground, albeit slowly, for a 33 year old and is definite threat in front of goal.
- Mark, South-East London, 05/08/2009 09:33
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Ballack? Good news? You're having a laugh, aren't you?
Scott Parker was and is twice the player Ballack has been since he came to the Bridge. Yet another example of space being found for an expensive foreign player at the expense of home-grown talent. When will it end?
- Neil, Bedford, England, 04/08/2009 16:47
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I just have this to say insteady of using ballack against man u, please use john obi mikel.
Chelsea will stand.
- Samuel, owena ijesa osun-state,Nigeria, 04/08/2009 13:21
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