Ancelotti has faith in Torres

Carlo Ancelotti insists he will not lose patience with record signing Fernando Torres ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Manchester City.

Torres has failed to hit the net in almost seven hours of football since joining the English Premier League champions in January.

The Spaniard was left on the bench for the midweek Champions League game against Copenhagen, but will definitely begin Sunday’s match against Manchester City.

“Torres will start, I can confirm that,” Chelsea manager Ancelotti said.

“Does he need to score? Well, he needs to play well, as he did. He needs to score above all for himself, not the team.”

“The team is doing well. I understand very well that, for the strikers, it’s very important to score. But I ask my strikers not just to score but to be involved for the team and work hard. He’s doing this.”

Torres’ goal drought is compounded by the fact that fellow strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka have also been unable to score in the league playing alongside their new partner.

“It is a surprise,” Ancelotti said.

“Didier scored 40 goals last season, but I have confidence they will score quickly and early. I’m not so worried about this. We have ability and the skills, so they will be able to score.”

Chelsea know they have to beat City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to keep their title hopes alive and to prevent Roberto Mancini’s side gaining an advantage in the battle for the Champions League qualification places.

“It’s very important,” Ancelotti said.

“We have the same aim. The first thing is to finish in the top four. In this moment, five teams are involved in this race and one will miss out. It will be important for every team to reach this.”

Chelsea will face City’s cross-town rivals Manchester United in the last eight of the Champions League after the draw was completed on Friday, but Ancelotti said his side would not be out for revenge for their loss to United in the 2008 final.

“I don’t want to consider the past. The past is the past. Every game has a different story,” Ancelotti said.

“We have to prepare well for this game. We won’t have difficulty doing that because we know everything about them, and they know everything about us. So it won’t be a surprise to play against United.”