DI MATTEO: "I FEARED THE WORST"

The 31-year-old suffered a broken leg in last season's shock Uefa cup exit to Swiss side St Gallen and has been on The Blues' treatment table ever since.

The former Lazio star, who now has metal pins in his leg, concedes that things looked bleak but is now relishing the prospect of pulling on the Chelsea shirt.  

"It looks like I will be able to play at the top level again. It didn't look like that a couple of months ago," admitted the Italian.

"I feared the worst when it happened because it was such as bad break.

"I got depressed and down. I had post-trauma and then complications and just couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel."

The former Italian international is confident that he can break into Claudio Ranieri's new-look Chelsea side despite the summer purchases of Emmanuel Petit and Frank Lampard for a combined £19 million.

"I don't think getting back into the team will be a problem once I am available," added the man who scored the fastest ever English cup final goal.