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Chelsea ‘can cope’ without Drogba

CARLO ANCELOTTI is confident Chelsea will cope without Didier Drogba next month. Drogba has scored 19 times this season and his absence at the African Nations Cup has robbed the league leaders of their prolific striker.Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien will also be competing at the tournament, but it is the loss of Drogba that will have the greatest impact. Ancelotti, however, is unperturbed by the Ivory Coast marksman’s departure and looks to this season’s Champions League campaign for reassurance.

“Didier has scored 19 goals but without him this year we’ve done very well,” said the Chelsea manager. “We won three games in the Champions League when he wasn’t playing and we can do the same in the Premiership.”

The loss of the African contingent is tempered by a league fixture list consisting of clashes with Hull, Sunderland, Birmingham and Burnley.

West Ham deny move for Mutu

WEST HAM sporting director Gianluca Nani insists the club are not after Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu. Speculation has been rife that Mutu is set for a return to London with the Hammers poised to make a bid for the former Chelsea player.

The Romania international’s agent claims a move is not out of question but Nani has dismissed the reports: “It’s all rubbish. I’m saddened by all these voices which insist there’s a deal.”

Birmingham may swoop for Hart

BIRMINGHAM manager Alex McLeish may launch a permanent swoop for Joe Hart next month to avert fears of losing him in the summer. Currently on a season-long loan from Manchester City, Hart’s value is likely increasing all the time, which is why McLeish could move in January rather than wait until the end of the season.

Hart has been one of the cornerstones of the Blues’ remarkable run of 11 consecutive Premier League matches without defeat, equalling a 101-year-old top-flight club record.

The 22-year-old’s latest stand-out performance came in Monday’s 1-0 victory at Stoke where Hart produced two exceptional saves to preserve the three points following Cameron Jerome’s winner.

Asked if he was concerned whether any fee might be too much come May, McLeish replied: “Possibly, but then maybe a bigger club might have their sights on him. We bring players in and try and improve them, and sometimes a situation like this arises.”

Celtic unhappy over postponement

CELTIC chief executive Peter Lawwell believes Kilmarnock could have done more to ensure tonight’s Premier League encounter at Rugby Park beat the weather. A Scottish Premier League statement said the match was called off due to “approach roads to the stadium being declared unsafe by the police”.

Celtic believe the Ayrshire club neglected its responsibility to “ensure the stadium locality is safe”.

Lawwell said: “Clearly, we are extremely disappointed that the match has been postponed. We have been told that the pitch is perfectly playable, but we have also been informed that the match cannot proceed due to the stadium footprint (the area surrounding the stadium) not being cleared.

“As is always the case, it is the responsibility of home clubs to ensure that their own footprint or locality is safe and obviously in this case, this has not been achieved.”

Hunt strikes twice to earn Hull an important point

HULL MIDFIELDER Stephen Hunt scored twice in the last 19 minutes as Bolton’s defensive deficiencies allowed the visitors to snatch a point in a 2-2 draw at the Reebok Stadium.

Wanderers looked comfortable after Ivan Klasnic’s 20th-minute goal and Kevin Davies’ second-half header.

However, Hunt nodded in from close range to spread panic in a defence without a clean sheet all season and the Republic of Ireland international’s cross-shot produced the equaliser after 78 minutes.

Although Bolton have now taken six points from their last four matches, for manager Gary Megson, this was a huge missed opportunity and the Bolton fans were again calling for him to be sacked.

BOLTON:Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Lee, Muamba, Cohen, Taylor, Kevin Davies, Klasnic (McCann 75). Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Elmander, Gardner, Mark Davies, Ricketts, Andrew O'Brien. Booked: McCann. Goals: Klasnic 20, Kevin Davies 61.

HULL:Myhill, Mendy, Zayatte, Gardner, Dawson, Garcia (Vennegoor of Hesselink 64), Boateng, Olofinjana (Geovanni 75), Hunt, Fagan, Altidore (Barmby 54). Subs Not Used: Duke, Kilbane, Mouyokolo, Ghilas. Booked: Dawson, Mendy. Goals: Hunt 71, 78.

Chamakh insists he is staying

BORDEAUX striker Marouane Chamakh insists he will stay with the Ligue 1 champions until the end of the season. Chamakh has long been linked with a move away from the Stade Chaban Delmas and made no secret in the summer of his desire to play in the Premier League.

Arsenal were one of the many clubs reportedly interested in the 25-year-old and speculation is rife that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is set to make a renewed effort to sign him when the window opens again, with Robin van Persie likely to be absent for the rest of the season. However, Chamakh claims he is not going anywhere in January. “I’m going to finish my season at Bordeaux,” he said.

Chamakh’s contract expires in the summer and he will then be able to leave on a free transfer.