Wilkins hails Anelka impact

And assistant manager explains Drogba absence

Last updated: 9th November 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Wilkins hails Anelka impact

Wilkins: Impressed by Anelka

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Chelsea assistant first-team coach Ray Wilkins has praised the role of Nicolas Anelka in Sunday's 2-0 victory over Blackburn.

French striker Nicolas Anelka netted both goals as the Blues returned to the top of the Premier League table with a comfortable win at Ewood Park, while Didier Drogba was left out of the squad.

The brace takes Anelka's personal league tally to 10 goals for the season and Wilkins has hailed the forward's efforts.

"He's looking good," Wilkins said of Anelka - who scored a hat-trick against Sunderland last weekend - on Chelsea's official website.

Fantastic

"He's doing a fantastic job, again today he was exceptional, and had it not been for Paul (Robinson) in the Blackburn goal he'd have had another hat-trick which would have been very pleasant.

"He has worked extremely hard, it's not his game to play up front on his own and bring people into the game and hold the ball up, but he has worked very hard at that aspect of his game. Thankfully for him he has managed to knock in a few as well."

Wilkins was also pleased with the performance of the Chelsea team at a rain-soaked Ewood Park.

He added: "A lot of people would have been looking at that thinking it's a tough game at Blackburn, difficult conditions, will they fancy it?

Attitude

"But I think you can see from the attitude and the way they played today that they were well up for it."

"We were playing catch-up from yesterday with Liverpool and it was imperative we got the three points today."

Meanwhile, Wilkins explained that Drogba's absence was due to the fact that the striker is still feeling his way back from injury

"Didier has been out for quite a period, and he still isn't quite feeling good enough to come into the fold, so we thought it best we left him behind," added Wilkins.

"There is no setback; he just doesn't feel that he's ready to crack on."