Chelsea leaned yesterday that Ricardo Carvalho was the lastest member of their injury ravaged defence to be sidelined. The Portugese is set to be out for around two months with the back injury sustained against Everton at the weekend. That would leave Avram Grant with Ben-Haim and Alex as a central defensive partnership, however, the signs are that John Terry could well make a return after the International break.

Terry has returned to light training and will apparently take part in a behind-closed-doors encounter later this week in a bid to prove his fitness to McClaren so that he can play a part against Croatia. Grant is said to have every confidence that Terry will therefore be available to him when the Premiership schedule kicks off again after the Internationals.

That will stall any Fantasy Manager considering the likes of Ben-Haim or Alex. The latter appears to be the more likely to find a place in the lineup with or without Terry but there is still uncertainty. Certainly enough to perhaps switch sights to the likes of Belletti who seems assured of the right-back position given the injury to Ferreira and Belletti’s own recent form.