The Guardian is reporting that there is another potential Ballack-Mourinho clash with the German midfielder omitted from Chelsea’s group stage Champions League squad. The big-wigs (that is a technical term) at Chelsea say that Ballack won’t be fit “for the majority of the group phase games”.
Germany coach Joachim Löw appears to think differently:
“[Ballack’s] injury is over now, it’s becoming better from day to day. It’s important that he gets a base physically for the season. His coach at Chelsea must decide when he comes back [but] we hope that he will return to our team for the Euro qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.”
The Germany-Ireland game is on October 13. Hmmmm. Surely something very fishy is going on here? Not so say Chelsea, who deny even the remotest whiff of fishiness. But with Ballack left out of the Group Stages it is hard not to think that that Ballack had been left out to keep his value high. Ballack won’t be cup-tied come January and that could appeal to potential suitors.