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Ramires has been recalled to the Brazil squad by national team coach Mano Menezes.

The 25-year-old midfielder joins new signing Oscar and David Luiz in the squad that faces Sweden on August 15.

Ramires enjoyed a fine end to last season, scoring the opening goal in the FA Cup Final just weeks after his incredible chip had kick-started our comeback against Barcelona in the Champions Leage semi-final.

The former Benfica and Cruzeiro man has not played for Brazil since the 2011 Copa America a year ago.

Azpilicueta: Chelsea move will be good for Marseille:

Olympique Marseille fullback Cesar Azpilicueta is keen to make the move to Chelsea.

He recognises that a sale would ease their money worries and is open to the idea of going to Chelsea.

"Everyone thinks it's been a tough time with my thoughts split between Marseille and Chelsea," Azpilicueta said in the Daily Mirror.

"But if my departure can help Marseille's finances, it's good for everyone."

Man City challenge Chelsea for unsettled Napoli star Cavani:

Manchester City are moving for Napoli star Edinson Cavani.

Gazzetta dello Sport says City are attempting to open talks with Napoli over a fee for Cavani this week.

Cavani is demanding a new contract from Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis and his frustration has sparked fresh interest from England.

Chelsea have also made a push to open negotiations with De Laurentiis in recent days for the centre-forward.

HAPPY HAZARD:

As league debuts go, Eden Hazard's opening minutes at Wigan could hardly have been better and afterwards, the Belgian international spoke to the club's channel.

Two assists - one a great pass following a sharp turn for Branislav Ivanovic to find the net, the second winning a penalty that Frank Lampard duly converted, helped the team to a 2-0 lead that was not surrendered. There was plenty of fluidity in the Chelsea midfield, particular between Hazard and Juan Mata, but he was started more centrally than in the Community Shield.

'Obviously I am happy with the way we started the game,' Hazard told Chelsea TV.

'We had a very good first half and I am happy I was in the starting 11. In the second half we could have played better on some occasions but it is very positive to start like that with three points.

'The "number 10" role is the role suited to me the most because I am used to playing there but I am a new player here and this is a big team and a big squad and I will always be happy if I can play the games, no matter if the manager wants to play me out wide or in the middle. I will happily play anywhere for the team.'

As well as his creativity, one of the main talking points following Sunday's game were the four fouls on Hazard, one resulting in a Wigan booking. Last season in France's top flight Hazard was the most-fouled player.

'I already had a few knocks and kicks in the first game in the Community Shield and I was the best player at my team in France so I got a lot attention from the defenders,' he confirmed. 'So I am used to it. The game can be physical, I don't mind.'

THE DATA DAY:

John Terry and Frank Lampard exchanged 24 successful passes, 12 each.

Terry hit a game-high 60 successful passes. Lampard hit 87 per cent of his passes accurately, and did not misplace a pass in the final half-hour.

Both Lampard and Ivanovic scored with their only shots of the game. In contrast, Wigan's Franco Di Santo and Jordi Gomez both had four efforts and only made Petr Cech work once apiece.

The top five players for total successful passes in the final third were all Wigan players. Shaun Maloney, who was subbed after 48 minutes, hit 12 from 12.

Eden Hazard was fouled four times on his debut, which lasted 64 minutes. Last season he was the most fouled player in the French Ligue, with 57.

Hazard made five successful dribbles, more than any other, two of which led to goals inside the first few minutes.

David Luiz made seven interceptions, two more than any other player at the DW, and the most of any Premier League player.

Chelsea enjoyed only 48.1 per cent of possession, and attempted only six shots. That is our lowest figure since our visit to Old Trafford in Manchester United in September 2007.

Chelsea's inventive midfielders will benefit Fernando Torres:

It's difficult to work out Roberto Di Matteo's preferred football style. When he was manager of West Bromwich Albion his side played an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 system, but he was sacked 18 months ago because the side conceded too many goals, among reports that little time was spent working on team shape in training. In stark contrast, Di Matteo won the Champions League last season by assembling an extremely defensive side that benefited from admirable organisation.

His first league game as coach since signing a two-year deal offered no definitive answer to the tactics he will employ in 2012-13. After Chelsea raced into a 2-0 lead in only seven minutes, the onus was on Wigan to make the running for the rest of the game.

The home side dominated possession, which says something about Di Matteo's approach. Other managers looking to shut down a match would have insisted upon ball retention to frustrate the opposition and slow the tempo, but Chelsea were more reactive, happy to drop deep towards their own goal. They attempted half as many passes in the final third as Wigan, and had only six shots.

In the first half, however, we glimpsed a new Chelsea, a side that offered intelligent movement and interchanging of positions. Juan Mata started the game on the right of a 4-2-3-1, with Eden Hazard in the central attacking role behind Fernando Torres, and Ryan Bertrand on the left. Whereas Bertrand stuck to his flank, Mata and Hazard constantly switched positions, and Chelsea's creative threat stemmed from this area – Wigan's left-sided centre-back Iván Ramis was at fault for both goals on his debut.

Chelsea dragged Wigan's three defenders out of position expertly in the first half, and last weekend's Community Shield match, against a Manchester City side who also played a back three, was good preparation for this test. It was intriguing that Mata and Hazard were positioned towards the right of the pitch in the first place. Bertrand was only playing because Ramires was ill, otherwise it would have been the same side that started the Community Shield. That alteration necessitated others changing roles – Ramires would have played on the right, whereas Bertrand is left-sided, but Hazard and Mata had no problems adapting.

That is a key feature of the new Chelsea – versatile attackers. Hazard, Mata and new signing Marko Marin can all play on the left, the right or through the middle. The substitute Oscar can play on the right or in a central role, while rumoured target Victor Moses, an opponent in this match, offers similar flexibility.

In addition to making Chelsea's line-ups difficult to predict, it will consistently offer greater lateral movement, as showcased by Mata and Hazard here. Rarely have Chelsea offered that quality – since José Mourinho's reign, they've attacked directly, battering the opposition directly through sheer force. Just as Didier Drogba was suited to that strategy, Torres should be more at home with technically gifted team-mates.

His own movement will depend on the location of Chelsea's creative talents. In this game, he started runs from the left of the pitch, so Hazard and Mata, from centre-right positions, could angle through-balls to meet his darts towards goal. He did not score, but he did receive service, which is promising considering Chelsea played the majority of the game cautiously.

Despite significant summer signings, Torres remains Chelsea's most expensive asset, and with Daniel Sturridge the only competition for his place in the starting line-up, his role is crucial. As a player who thrives on space and through-balls, he will continue to appreciate the movement and invention of Mata and Hazard – whichever positions they're playing in.

RAMIRES BACK FOR READING:

Ramires returns to the fold for Wednesday night's Barclays Premier League clash against Reading at Stamford Bridge, with Roberto Di Matteo suggesting there could be changes to the line-up.

Our first home game of the season has arrived, with us in midweek action as a result of our involvement in the Uefa Super Cup in Monaco next week, and Di Matteo is expecting a stern challenge from Brian McDermott's newly-promoted side, who earned a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke on Saturday.

'I'm very wary of newly-promoted teams like Reading and Southampton,' the Italian said. 'It's going to be a very difficult game when you play a newly-promoted team early on, full of enthusiasm and spirit. We will try our best to win our first home game.

'You sometimes look at it and think you don't want to change a winning team but it doesn't always work like that. We will see for tomorrow night, I haven't made my decision yet, we finished training not long ago and I have to think about it.

'Ramires is fine, Marin is still out, so apart from his hamstring injury we are okay. It won't be long, but it might not be before the international break, we will have to see.

'We are slowly looking to integrate Oscar like we did with the other signings. He hasn't been with us long so we have to give him the right time to get used to his new team-mates, the club and the team, do some tactical work with him and slowly put him into the team.'

In Reading, Di Matteo has identified a well-organised outfit that will still be on a high after a superb run of results that saw Brian McDermott's side eventually earn automatic promotion from the Championship.

'He has done a wonderful job. They had a great run in the second half of the season. I followed the Championship a lot and they're difficult to play against,' Di Matteo said. 'They don't concede many goals and are a threat on the counter-attack. I always found it hard to play against Brian McDermott's teams.'

Di Matteo was also asked about potential transfers, indicating there is no news on incoming players, but did respond to questions surrounding the future of Yossi Benayoun and Florent Malouda, who have not been involved in either of our competitive matches.

'At the moment it's just a selection issue. We have a lot of competition and a lot of players in certain areas. That's what it is at the moment, a fight for places,' Di Matteo said.

'I tend to speak to all the players. We have conversations and they are Chelsea players and part of the squad at the moment.

'We will have to see, but until the transfer window closes they are with us and they are part of it.'

ESSIEN ON HAND TO GREET HONG KONG YOUNGSTERS:

Michael Essien met with members of the Hong Kong Soccer Schools at Cobham today as the group visit the UK to train at our world-famous training ground.

Thirty children from the HK Soccer Schools are in the country for a week as they look to learn the Chelsea footballing philosophy, taking part in several training sessions at Cobham before enjoying the sights and sounds of London.

'It's very special to be involved and meet the kids,' said Essien. 'To see the smiles on their faces when I arrived was lovely.

'It's very nice for young children to meet their heroes, and it's important that we are good role models for our supporters all around the world.'

Having been in the country for a few days already, the group took part in a training session, where they were put through their paces by Chelsea coaches amid perfect conditions, and David Tsui, coach at one of the club's Hong Kong Soccer Schools, was blown away by the quality of the facilities at Cobham.

'It's a great experience and the pitches are great, the children love it very much,' he explained, 'when they step on the pitch they love it and they really enjoy training here.

'It's very enjoyable and they all feel happy to meet Michael Essien. They were so excited before he walked in the room as they didn't know which player it was going to be.'

With the club having toured Asia on a number of occasions, and another one possibly on the horizon next summer, our ever-expanding reputation within the region continues to grow.

Robert Udberg, Chelsea's International Development Officer, believes the impact of the work carried out in the area, particularly the Blue Pitch Project, should not be underestimated.

'We travel all over the world and get to interact with lots of children from different cultures and communities,' he said. 'The Blue Pitch Project we have in Hong Kong is crucial to that, it's a base for us in a different part of the world and the kids get to take part in Chelsea activities on a daily basis with Hong Kong coaches.

'For them to experience another culture and be away from home for a long time, some of them are only nine-years-old, it's a really good thing for their development and it gives them something to aspire to.

'Michael was fantastic with them, he broke the ice as soon as he came in with a big smile on his face, but it's so special for them. They're huge consumers of the Premier League, and Chelsea in particular, and to see their heroes training is an experience of a lifetime.'

The trip will culminate with the group coming along to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening to watch our league game against Newcastle United.

To Victor, the spoils:

VICTOR MOSES gave Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo a timely reminder of his class.

The 21-year-old seemed set to join the Blues when Wigan dropped their asking price from £10million to the £9m Chelsea were willing to pay.

But the deal remains up in the air and Di Matteo said: “I’m happy with my squad but we may still be a bit light in some areas.”

Wigan chief Roberto Martinez said: “It’s hard to cope with the mental pressure if you are 31, never mind 21. Victor’s handled himself impeccably.”

West Brom striker Lukaku likens Clarke to Mourinho:

West Bromwich Albion striker Romelu Lukaku has likened manager Steve Clarke to Jose Mourinho.

Lukaku joined the Baggies on a season-long loan from Chelsea this month and scored in a 3-0 win against Liverpool on Saturday.

He said: “We saw what he did for many years at Chelsea, where he was a great assistant coach working with Jose Mourinho.

“Now he’s showing everybody he can do it in the top flight as a manager. The gaffer knows the game. And if you know the game, you can manage really well.

“If we can play like we did against Liverpool, we’ll have a great season. But we have to be humble and realistic because sometimes we’ll have bad games.

“Getting a win against Liverpool was the most important thing and the goal I scored was just a part of it.”

Bayer Leverkusen chief warns Chelsea to forget about Schurrle:

Bayer Leverkusen chief executive Wolfgang Holzhauser has warned Chelsea off striker Andre Schurrle.

Blues owner Roman Abramovich is expected to make a new bid for the Germany international.

But Holzhauser told the Daily Mail: "We will not sell him this season, no matter how much they (Chelsea) want him and no matter how much they offer. Next year may be different, but he will not leave this season."

Chelsea make opening £29M bid for Napoli ace Cavani:

Chelsea hope to do business with Napoli over Edinson Cavani for £29 million.

Gazzetta dello Sport says Chelsea are this week launching a bid for the Uruguay international, who has returned to Naples after a summer break following his Olympics commitment.

Chelsea are now back in contact with Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis and offering £29 million for Cavani.

But the movie mogul insists his striker won't leave for less than £40 million this month.

Chelsea back on agenda for Inter Milan fullback Maicon:

Chelsea are the best option for Inter Milan's want-away defender Douglas Maicon.

Maicon was left out of Inter's UEFA squad for the Europa League, fueling talk that he will be sold in the next two weeks.

Sky Italia says Chelsea are his best option, with the trails to Real Madrid and PSG going cold. A shock move to Juventus has been dismissed by sources close to the player.

Chelsea are haggling over a price for Cesar Azpilicueta with Marseille - and if nothing can be agreed, will return to the negotiating table for Maicon.

Chelsea duo Benayoun and Malouda’s future in the balance:

Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo has refused to comment on the long term futures of Yossi Benayoun and Florent Malouda.

Both have been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge after falling out of favour.

The pair would be encouraged to move on, with first team opportunities set to be limited, and have until the end of August to find a new club.

Asked about the prospect of either being allowed to leave permanently or on loan, Di Matteo said: "We'll have to see until the transfer window closes.

"At the moment, they're with us and part of it."

Hazard will continue improving – Chelsea’s Di Matteo

Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo is confident that Eden Hazard will continue to rapidly improve.

The 21-year old Belgian winger made an impressive start to life with the Blues with a commanding Man of the Match performance, which included two assists, in their 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic on Sunday.

Now Di Matteo, who saw Hazard’s abilities in pre-season, feels there is even more to come from the former Lille star.

"He left his mark on the game,” Di Matteo said.

"In pre-season, he showed that kind of quality in training. Now, in the Premier League, hopefully there's more to come from him."

Di Matteo well aware of complacency as Chelsea prepare for Reading:

Roberto Di Matteo has certainly not pencilled in a win for his Chelsea side ahead of tomorrow night’s meeting with Reading.

Despite the Royals coming up from the Championship this season, the Blues boss knows all too well that promoted sides are capable of pulling off big results against established Premier League outfits.

"I'm very wary of newly-promoted teams like Reading and Southampton," he told the club's official website after Reading drew 1-1 with Stoke City and the Saints pushed champions Manchester City to 3-2 on the weekend.

"It's going to be a very difficult game when you play a newly-promoted team early on, full of enthusiasm and spirit. We will try our best to win our first home game.

"You sometimes look at it and think you don't want to change a winning team but it doesn't always work like that. We will see for tomorrow night, I haven't made my decision yet, we finished training not long ago and I have to think about it."

Chelsea’s Cole wants Middlesbrough loanee McEachran to show what he can do:

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole hopes teammate Josh McEachran can show the football community what he can do in his Middlesbrough debut tonight.

The 19-year old midfielder has joined ‘Boro on a season-long loan and is set to make his bow at the Riverside Stadium when Burnley visit in a few hour with Cole wishing him the best as he continues his development away from Stamford Bridge.

“@JMcEachran20 good luck tonight mate hope you enjoy the game, do well and show people your ability,” wrote Cole on Twitter.

McEachran had a loan with Swansea City last season and has been bumped even further down the Chelsea pecking order following the summer arrivals of Eden Hazard and Oscar.

Middlesbrough faced stiff competition for Chelsea’s McEachran

Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray has revealed he beat off a series of Barclays Premier League competitors to land loan signing Josh McEachran.

The 19-year-old midfielder completed a season-long switch from Chelsea to the Riverside Stadium on Monday.

Mowbray told the club's official website: "The competition was quite stiff, not just from the Championship, but Premier League clubs also wanted to take him on board.

"The boy felt he needed to come and play some football and we will give him the platform to do that if his performance levels warrant it.

"I've spoken to a few of the Chelsea staff and they appreciate the way we like to play and the reputation we have, and I think that helped our cause.

"He went on loan to Swansea last season and didn't play, for whatever reason.

"Hopefully we can find the right environment for him to come here and impact on our team and help us."

Chelsea boss Di Matteo pleased to see Oscar in early action:

Chelsea boss Roberto di Matteo was pleased to give Oscar his debut in victory at Wigan Athletic.

The Brazilian may see more action tonight against Reading.

Di Matteo said: "We're slowly looking to integrate him, like we did with the other new signings.

"He's not been long with us, so we need to give him the right time to get him used to his new team members and the team, and our tactics, and slowly put him into the team."

Chelsea closing deal for Marseille fullback Azpilicueta:

Chelsea are finalising a deal for Marseille fullback Cesar Azpilicueta.

The Daily Star says the Blues are also poised to confirm the signing of Marseille right-back Azpilicueta, possibly as early as today, for around £7m.

Following the departure of Jose Bosingwa, the 22-year-old Spaniard will provide competition for Branislav Ivanovic, who prefers to play in central defense.

PSG boss Ancelotti writes off Chelsea Champions League defence:

PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti can't see former club Chelsea successfully defending their Champions League crown.

Ancelotti thinks Chelsea will struggle to retain their crown.

"For Chelsea it will be a year of transition," said the 53-year-old. "It will be very difficult to win the Champions League again.

"They signed some interesting players, such as Eden Hazard, but lost Didier Drogba."

Chelsea plan amazing deadline day Hulk deal:

Chelsea are set for a fresh round of talks with Porto for star striker Hulk.

The Daily Mail says Hulk has set his sights on a switch to Stamford Bridge and his club are willing to let him leave for around £38m despite an £80m release clause in his contract.

It is understood that Chelsea officials in Monaco next week will meet representatives from both clubs.

The European champions travel to the millionaires' playground for their Super Cup clash with Atletico Madrid.

The match takes place on Friday night - just a couple of hours before the transfer window closes

Marseille chiefs in London to close Azpilicueta sale to Chelsea:

Olympique Marseille chiefs Vincent Labrune and Jose Anigo are in London today to oversee the sale of César Azpilicueta to Chelsea.

The Spaniard's agents also travelled with president Labrune and sports director Anigo to England yesterday.

LOM hope to do business for around £7 million with Chelsea.

Wigan boss Martinez says no new Chelsea bid for Moses:

Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez admits there's been no fresh bid from Chelsea for Victor Moses.

Asked if there had been any further developments on the Moses front, the Spaniard said "not at all", and pressed as to whether or not he had heard anything from Chelsea, Martinez replied: "No. You are asking the wrong man, in that respect."

The Latics boss stressed that until an acceptable bid was made, all speculation on the subject was simply "cheap talk".

He said: "You will get all sorts of speculation and talk, but the reality is, every player has a valuation. If a club matches that valuation, then maybe you have to sit down with the player and there is a decision to be made.

"Here, for all the talk and speculation, we have never had an offer which matches what the club wants - so at that point, all the rest is cheap talk.

"Victor is an incredible young man and I think the maturity he showed on Sunday is not normal in a 21-year-old.

"It has been a real joy to see him grow over the last few seasons. We made a massive investment in him as a young man and we are very proud of him.

"If there is nothing to consider, it is not an issue."

Man City table £30M bid for Chelsea defender David Luiz

Manchester City have failed with a bumper offer for Chelsea defender David Luiz.

The Sun says Chelsea have rejected Manchester City’s £30million bid for David Luiz.

City boss Roberto Mancini needs defensive cover with Micah Richards crocked for 10 weeks.

Luiz was axed from last night’s win over Reading while Chelsea and City tried to thrash out a deal — though the Brazilian centre-back claimed on Twitter he has a knee injury.

Chelsea were angered by the Tweet and Luiz has been fined.

Boss Roberto Di Matteo said: “This social media thing is all around us now. We’ll deal with it internally.”

Lukaku: No ill-feeling towards Villas-Boas

Romelu Lukaku insists he does not hold a grudge against Andre Villas-Boas - but is itching to spoil the Portuguese's home debut at White Hart Lane this weekend.
Lukaku will come face-to-face with the new Tottenham manager on Saturday, following his miserable time under AVB in his first season at Chelsea.

Despite Villas-Boas spending £18 million on the striker and handing him a five-year contract just over 12 months ago, Lukaku's debut campaign at Stamford Bridge ended in huge disappointment after just eight appearances.

Lukaku, on a season-long loan at West Brom, has been given an early opportunity to vent his frustration, despite claiming he has no personal agenda with Villas-Boas.

"This is West Bromwich Albion playing Tottenham, not me playing against Andre Villas-Boas," Lukaku told the Birmingham Mail. "I don't really look at Andre Villas-Boas and wonder what he is thinking.

"He is in a new job now and hopefully he can do well with that club but we go there hoping to get a result this week. I know about the rivalry between Chelsea and Tottenham, which is obviously important to those supporters.

"But the only thing I care about is getting three points for West Bromwich and we have to make profit from any negative points that Tottenham have."

Lukaku was signed as the long-term replacement for Didier Drogba and as well as remaining in the shadow of the Ivorian, he was also further into the sidelines by £50 million signing Fernando Torres.

Despite his troubled first year in English football, however, the 19-year-old believes he will emerge stronger for the experience.

"I don't think there is any player in the world who hasn't had downs as well as ups," he said. "Look at Ronaldinho, Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo and Thierry Henry. They all had downs and ups in their careers.

"I learned a lot of good things from Chelsea. Now I want to learn more at West Bromwich Albion and to become a better player. The English Premier League is not as easy as people think. Every week you play against the best. There is a big pressure, the fans are screaming at you - that's what makes the English Premier League so special.

"I learned a lot last season. This season I want to show people that this club and myself are making progress and getting better."