Carlo Ancelotti insists his destiny stays at Chelsea Chelsea

Matt Hughes, Deputy Football Correspondent & , : {}

Carlo Ancelotti revealed yesterday that he has been given assurances by Chelsea that he will still be at the club next season.

The Chelsea manager conceded that his side are experiencing their most difficult period of the campaign, but is confident of coming through it to win their first Premier League title in four years.

Ancelottis predecessors to have lost their jobs in the wake of failing to win either of the Premier League or Champions League include Claudio Ranieri and Avram Grant. But Ancelotti claimed that he will buck the trend, even if Chelsea end the season empty-handed, because of the strength of his relationship with Roman Abramovich, the owner. I am here to change the history of this club, Ancelotti said.

I have a very good relationship with the club and with Roman. [Avram] Grant was the past, now there is a present. I think the owner now is thinking what I think: to win the Premier League and to win the FA Cup. I am an optimistic man. My position is not under discussion.

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My future is definitely at Chelsea next season, I can confirm that. I have two more years of my contract.

Ancelotti believes that Chelsea need 86 points to win the title, which would require seven wins from their remaining eight league matches, although he has challenged his players to end the season with ten straight wins, starting away to Portsmouth this evening.

I think that, in the past, with 86 points every team has won the title, Ancelotti said. But we cant afford to lose at Manchester United.

We have nine or ten games until the end of the season eight in the Premier League and maybe two in the FA Cup and thats not a lot of time. We have to win ten games.

Petr Cech will return from a calf injury tonight, but Ashley Cole is not expected back for another month despite running yesterday for the first time since he broke his ankle.

Ashleys recovery is going very well, Ancelotti said. He started to train on his own and I think that he will train with the group maybe in 15 days. I think he will be ready before the end of the season.

Portsmouth are without striker Aruna Dindane after he was declared unavailable by the clubs administrators because of a clause in his loan from Lens, which states that the South Coast club must pay 4 million if he plays another game.

Tal Ben-Haim and John Utaka have groin injuries and miss out.