The Daily Mail says Juliano Belletti, who picked up the club's goal of the season award for his spectacular effort against Tottenham, will be asked to leave, along with winger Florent Malouda and forward Claudio Pizarro.

Khalid Boulahrouz, who has been on loan to Sevilla, will also be released when a fee can be agreed for the central defender. And a Chelsea source admitted on Monday that, despite Andriy Shevchenko's goal against Bolton on Sunday, "they will personally drive him to anyone who will have him".

There is also the curious case of Branislav Ivanovic, who has not played since he joined from Lokomotiv Moscow in January. At 24, he should be involved with the first-team squad, but no one in the reserves can understand why Chelsea paid £9million for him.