Chelsea hit by catalogue of injuries

LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) Chelsea's hopes of a strong start to the Premier League season could be undermined by a catalogue of injuries.

Coach Jose Mourinho had so few senior players available for an open training session in front of 3,000 supporters at Stamford Bridge yesterday that the club issued an apology on their Web site.

Media reports today estimated more than a dozen first-team squad members were having treatment.

Chelsea, beaten on penalties by Manchester United in Sunday's Community Shield, open their league campaign at home to Birmingham City on Sunday.

The long injury list revives memories of the problems which seriously affected Chelsea's title challenge last season.

Captain John Terry is sidelined for a month with a knee ligament problem while Michael Ballack and Wayne Bridge are due back in one month and 10 weeks respectively after having ankle and hip operations.

QUESTION MARKS Didier Drogba (knee), Arjen Robben (knee), Salomon Kalou (thigh), Glen Johnson (calf), Andriy Shevchenko (back), Claude Makelele (knee) and Paulo Ferreira (thigh) may also miss the Birmingham game and there are question marks over three more players.

Winger Florent Malouda, who made a goal-scoring debut in the Community Shield, received a dead leg against United.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech is nursing a hand injury while left back Ashley Cole has a thigh problem.

Even Frank Lampard, who is filling in as captain in Terry's absence, has been playing with a broken toe.

Mourinho told Chelsea TV this week ''we need rotation'' but was surely not expecting to have to test the depth of his resources so early in the season.

He will hope new signings like midfielder Steve Sidwell and defender Tal Ben Haim can show their worth immediately.

''We have a big enough squad now,'' Sidwell told the Guardian newspaper.

''This is a chance for some of the new faces. It opens up doors and opportunities.'' REUTERS BJR RAI1852