kevin doyle

Despite injuries to key players this is a game Chelsea should win easily. The interest, then, lies elsewhere. First, there is Kevin Doyle's reunion with Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda days after his heart was broken in Paris.  

The international fixtures have taken a toll on the squad to face Wolves, with a knock-on effect that brings young players into Carlo Ancelotti 's selection. The manager has ruled Frank Lampard , Didier Drogba , Deco and Michael Ballack out of Saturday's match. Ancelotti is anticipating being able to call upon all but Lampard from that the quartet in Porto on Wednesday.

It was not a good situation and I think that the referee hasn't seen this because if he saw it would be yellow card for Evans and not for Drogba   -Carlo Ancelotti

 

'Le Hand of God' from France's Thierry Henry this week got Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd thinking of a comparison at his own club ahead of the Chelsea trip. Never mind the Ballacks, Terrys, Coles, Drogbas or Lampards of this world, Carlo Ancelotti will still have enough strength and depth in the Chelsea squad to put out a team oozing with quality on Saturday. You would think that playing the Premier League leaders next at the fortress of Stamford Bridge isn't really the ideal tonic for Wolves after the  

Wolves are boosted by the return of right-back Kevin Foley for tomorrow's trip to Chelsea. Foley has only made three appearances this season after twice suffering knee ligament problems. His return could not be better timed as defender Ronald Zubar is a major doubt after picking up a thigh strain in training this week.  

REPUBLIC of Ireland soccer star Kevin Doyle and girlfriend Jennifer Harney have been successful in their bid to gain planning permission for their Irish dream home. And the house at Killurin will be as green as the shirt on his back when he plays for Ireland. The man who picks off the goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers and his country has his sights set on an A-rated energy efficient home.  

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy today admitted he will have to assess the effect Ireland's World Cup heartbreak has had on Kevin Doyle before deciding whether to play him at Chelsea on Saturday. Doyle was part of the Irish team beaten in Paris last night after Thierry Henry's double handball set up the French equaliser. McCarthy admitted he would have to consider the physical and mental effects on £6.5m record signing Doyle, who is not due to re-join his Wolves team-mates until tomorrow.  

In central midfield, Keith Andrews never stopped running, never stopped snapping into tackles. Damien Duff was tireless down the left, rolling back the years to his effervescent Blackburn youth with long runs down the wing, one of which led to Robbie Keane's goal. Ireland's captain took his 32nd-minute strike expertly but it was his all-round contribution, the way the Spurs man kept looking for chinks in France's defence that inspired his teammates and lifted the fans.  

Robbie Keane has urged his Republic of Ireland team-mates to hold their heads high after their brave exit from the World Cup on Wednesday night. Giovanni Trapattoni's men succumbed to a controversial French winner in the second leg of their qualification play-off in Paris. It came after Robbie's 41st international goal had levelled the aggregate scores following a 1-0 first leg defeat in Dublin last Saturday.

Over the two legs, we were certainly the better team. If you look at the chances of both teams, I don't recall them getting many.   -Robbie Keane

 

A furious Ireland has branded French striker Thierry Henry a cheat, after an apparent 'Hand of God' touch sent France to the World Cup. The Arsenal legend did a Maradona twice, using his hand to set up William Gallas' extra-time clincher, reports The Sun. Henry admitted: "The ball hit my hand and, I will be honest, it was a handball. I played it, the ref allowed it. It would have been better to do it another way, but I am not the ref." Irish defender Richard Dunne said: "I think it is quite blatant t