AS says Real coach Bernd Schuster has assured his board that Ballack can recover his best form under his guidance, though Madrid hope to take advantage of the German's inactivity by driving down Chelsea's asking price.

The big stumbling block will be Ballack's £130,000-a-week wages, but on the football-side of things Schuster has no doubts: "He is still a quality player. In six months he will again be among the world's best."