Tonight:
4°c
Chelsea's new diamond formation will come under further scrutiny against Sunderland but Germany captain Michael Ballack says it is up to the players to make it work.
New coach Carlo Ancelotti has abandoned the use of wingers and replaced them with two strikers and a midfield diamond that struggled to get the better of Hull.
Chelsea won 2-1 thanks to a late strike by Didier Drogba but at times the space afforded them by Ancelotti's midfield was exploited to the full by Phil Brown's side.
Ballack was a half-time substitute for John Obi Mikel as Ancelotti looked for more aggression in the second half. Now the midfielder is hoping for a place in the starting line-up against Steve Bruce's side at the Stadium of Light tomorrow night and he remains convinced the system can work.
"Everybody is a little bit expectant about what we can achieve this year," said Ballack. "We have a new manager and we play a new system.
"But it is not about the system, it is about how individuals perform and whether they do the right things. There are many ways to win, there's not just one way to play football and you can have success with any system if you play well."
Chelsea are unlikely to have any of their injured contingent back in time. Juliano Belletti (Achilles), Alex (groin) and Yuri Zhirkov (knee) are almost certain to miss out.
