Ancelotti facing major Torres call

NOT long ago it would have seemed inconceivable that Carlo Ancelotti was contemplating going into Chelsea’s biggest game of the season without Fernando Torres.

Failure to overcome Stoke on Saturday means Chelsea’s only realistic hope of winning silverware now rests with defeating Manchester United over two legs in the Champions League.

Yet 48 hours before the quarter-final first leg at Stamford Bridge, Ancelotti is coming round to the fact that his team’s best chance of progressing in Europe is with his €58million signing sat on the substitutes’ bench.

It is only a short time ago since the very mention of Torres’ name struck fear into the heart of the Manchester United defence.

At Anfield, Torres’ favourite hobby was to reduce Nemanja Vidic to a nervous wreck while Rio Ferdinand was also left embarrassed by the Spaniard.

But the most expensive player in British football history has lost his fear factor, and the Torres that Roman Abramovich clearly hoped he had signed on transfer deadline day in January is vastly different to the one who scored three times against United in a Liverpool shirt.

Although Chelsea’s title defence all but ended at the Britannia Stadium, there was enough evidence during a thrilling encounter that their best chance of overcoming Alex Ferguson’s treble-chasing United side is by starting with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

Drogba has struggled to get a consistent run of games since Torres’ arrival two months ago yet, with the Spain striker sat on the bench with his arms folded on Saturday, the Ivory Coast forward provided a convincing case why he should face United on the European stage.

It was not just his goal, an excellent diving header from Anelka’s cross. Drogba’s movement off the ball caused the Stoke defence no end of worries and he would have celebrated a second goal had his ambitious effort from an acute angle not struck the woodwork.

Anelka, too, was busy throughout and thrived alongside Drogba before making way for Torres, who has now played eight hours 47 minutes for Chelsea without scoring.

This was hardly the result Ancelotti wanted ahead of such of a crucial fixture, and the Chelsea manager knows his side cannot allow Wayne Rooney the space they afforded to Jon Walters to fire Stoke ahead.

It is an indication of Stoke’s determination and battling prowess that Petr Cech was one of Chelsea’s best players — Marc Wilson, Robert Huth and Jermaine Pennant all giving the goalkeeper valuable shot-saving practice ahead of Wednesday.

“We know them (Manchester United) but I don’t think it’s a good draw because they are a good team and difficult to beat with a lot of quality players,” said Anelka, a Champions League winner with Real Madrid 11 years ago.

“But, if you want to win the Champions League you have to beat good teams.

“These two games with Manchester United will feel like Premier League games, we have already played them in so many games so these will be the same, and we will just have to see what happens.”

Ancelotti knows all too well the pain and ecstasy of the Champions League as he was AC Milan’s manager when Liverpool came from 3-0 behind to win on penalties in 2005.

The Italian gained redemption two years later by defeating Rafa Benitez’s side in the final.

“For us (Milan), that moment was our destiny, to play against Liverpool two years later in the final of the Champions League,” said Ancelotti, who knows he cannot afford to end the season without a trophy.

“This could really be the time for Chelsea to do something in the Champions League.

“It is my favourite trophy. I don’t think that they require that I win a trophy to save my position. I also think that the club does not think this. It’s important to win for the image of the club, for the players. It’s important to have tradition and history in the Champions League.

“The experience of the team, the personality of the player, the character, are very important for this kind of game where there is a lot of pressure.

“The reason why Milan won a lot of Champions Leagues was that — the tradition of the club.

“For Manchester United, it is the same. The power of this team is obviously that they have (Wayne) Rooney, a lot of fantastic players and a fantastic coach.

“But the history and tradition of this club is also its power.”