Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has named his team for Saturday's trip to Preston.

The Italian manager was asked if he new his starting eleven in Friday's pre-match press conference and took the unusual step of revelaing the eleven players who would be playing. Chelsea's team is Hilario, Paulo Ferreira, Alex, John Terry, Yury Zhirkov, Juliano Belletti, Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, Deco, Nicolas Anelka, Daniel Sturridge.

Speaking to the assembled media Ancelotti said: "Ashley Cole is out because he has a problem on his ankle and won't be ready. I want to leave him out to rest for the game against Birmingham.

"Joe Cole will be in the squad next year. The aim of the club is to keep him in the squad because he is an important player, he is a very professional player with a lot of quality and a player of the English national team.

"For this reason we want to keep him in the squad. I cannot guarantee to Cole he will play in Chelsea every game, I cannot guarantee that to any player. I never guarantee to play every game.

"I don't know very well Preston but I am sure they will try to do hard work on the pitch, they will try to do the best because the FA Cup is the oldest competition in the world and a very important competition here.

"There were strange results in the last round and we don't want to have one in this round. It is an important game for this season.

"I don't know him [Darren Ferguson] which is a good reason to meet him tomorrow. Like a father, Alex can give some advice or opinions about our players, it is normal."