Ivanovic and Cahill strengthen Chelsea's defence ahead of Norwich clash

The arrival of Gary Cahill to Stamford Bridge this week has given Andre Villas-Boas an extra option ahead of this weekends game against Norwich, but he is also happy to welcome back Branislav Ivanovich after a month long lay-off with a hamstring injury.

Although Cahill is match fit, AVB is unsure whether he can pitch him straight into the starting line-up until he has learnt more about Chelsea’s style of play.

“Everybody’s looking sharp and fit, so at the moment, it’s all positive,” Villas-Boas said.

“Gary Cahill’s arrival was positive. There was good integration. We saw all of his natural technical abilities, which is important for us, plus his defensive capacities. I think he adapted quite well and its a welcoming sign for the club and it’s good to have him on board.

“I think in the process of a player’s arrival, there are adaptation issues regarding the dynamics of the group you have to take into consideration to make the best option for the team.”

Although Chelsea had well-documented defensive problems earlier this season, AVB may now be loathe to make widescale changes after keeping two clean sheets in a row and Cahill may be restricted to a cameo performance if Chelsea are winning comfortably tomorrow.

It would be great to see Michael Essien back in action as well……