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Injury blow for Blues star
Chelsea, 21:34, July 22, 2010 ,
Chelsea will be without defender Alex for the first month of the new Premier League season after he suffered a thigh injury.
The 28-year-old will sit out Friday's friendly trip to Ajax because of the knock he picked up in training, as will new signing Yossi Benayoun, who has a groin problem.
"There are no more coming that didn't play against Crystal Palace, so Yossi Benayoun is out and Alex has a problem in his thigh but with the other players it is the same squad," coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose side beat Palace 1-0 at the weekend, told www.chelseafc.com.
It is the second such blow in successive days for Chelsea, who yesterday saw goalkeeper Petr Cech ruled out for a month with a torn calf.
Tomorrow's game will therefore give back-up keepers Hilario and Ross Turnbull the chance to stake a claim to begin the season in the first team.
"I think that against Ajax we will play 45 minutes each for Turnbull and Hilario, and I think Turnbull will start the game," Ancelotti said.