Ancelotti stands by his men

Carlo Ancelotti defended Petr Cech and Frank Lampard ahead of tomorrow’s final Champions League group game against Apoel Nicosia. After two defeats and three penalty misses inside four days last week, it was somewhat predictable the focus would be on certain individuals.

Cech was blamed for allowing Carlos Tevez to score Manchester City’s winner from a 25-yard free-kick in the Premier League on Saturday.

Lampard was then guilty of his first penalty miss since September 2006 when Shay Given saved his 83rd-minute attempt.

That followed spot-kick blunders by Michael Ballack and Gael Kakuta in a penalty shoot-out defeat by Blackburn in the Carling Cup quarter-final last Wednesday.

But both Lampard and Cech are likely to figure in tomorrow’s Group D encounter

at Stamford Bridge, and Ancelotti declared he has no concerns about either player’s form.

“This season, I think Cech did very well,” said Ancelotti. “I like him. He takes the responsibility and likes to come out and catch the ball in the box.

“He could do better if you ask me about the free-kick on Saturday. I think the goalkeeper has to stay on his post and, if the player puts the ball over the wall and in, we have to congratulate him.

“Even a good goalkeeper can make a mistake sometimes but this season Petr has been doing very well.

“I can say that, at our training ground, Lampard is the player who practices penalties more than any other player. It’s a psychological problem to shoot a penalty. When Lampard shoots a penalty, Cech tries to save it.

“I think that we did very well in the last games. In the last game against Manchester City we conceded a goal on the free-kick but set-pieces are different.

“We don’t have to mark people on a free-kick. We have to put up a wall. That’s not a problem like set-pieces. It was different to the last league game we lost against Aston Villa.

“That was two corner kicks, they scored twice. The situation has changed since that match. Set-pieces and free-kicks, they are different.”

Chelsea have already won the group and so there is a temptation for Ancelotti to rest some players against the Cypriots.

Captain John Terry, carrying a knee injury from the City defeat, is likely to miss out even though the problem is responding well to treatment.

Ancelotti also has doubts over Ballack and Ashley Cole. Cole is still suffering from an ankle problem while the Germany captain has a knee complaint.

Kakuta is almost certain to make his first start for the club while Ancelotti will also call upon youngsters Daniel Philliskirk and Nikki Ahamed.