Michael Emenalo has been appointed Chelsea's assistant first-team coach following the departure of Ray Wilkins last week. Emenalo had been working as head opposition scout for the club since October 2007 but will now make the transition to coaching.

Chelsea confirmed the move on their official website: "Chelsea Football Club are pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Emenalo to the position of assistant first-team coach. He moves up from his previous position of head opposition scout.

"Michael has been an important part of the first-team management structure since he arrived in October 2007, and his promotion to assistant first-team coach is recognition of his efforts to date.

"Michael will continue to oversee the first-team scouting operation as he makes the transition to coaching. He will split the initial period between assisting first-team coach Carlo Ancelotti and updating his coaching qualifications as he takes on this bigger and more influential role."

Emenalo, a former Nigeria international, was brought to the club by the former manager Avram Grant and, along with the first-team coach Paul Clement, was among the favourites to replace Wilkins as Chelsea looked to appoint from within.

"Michael Emenalo is doing a fantastic job as head opposition scout and he is already working very close to me," Ancelotti said.

Emenalo, 42, was a defender during his playing days and became known to Grant during their time at Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 1986 he moved to the US, where he graduated from Boston University three years later with a degree in international relations with political sciences, having also played college soccer.

He also played in Belgium and Germany before winning the Anglo-Italian Cup with Notts County. He won 14 caps for Nigeria and played in the 1994 World Cup in the US.

Chelsea are still waiting to learn when John Terry will be available again. The captain is understood to have seen a chiropractor in Italy yesterday to try to solve a troublesome nerve problem in his right leg.

Terry has been left in agony by the injury, which has been managed during the season with a series of injections. The club hope he might be fit for the game with Newcastle on November 28.

Chelsea are relatively unconcerned by Alex's selection as a substitute for Brazil against Argentina last night. The defender, who is likely to be out for up to eight weeks with a knee injury, did not play.

Alex missed Chelsea's games against Fulham and Sunderland due to his injury but joined his national side for the game in Qatar. He was due to return to the club's training ground at Cobham today for more treatment. It is likely he will undergo further investigation via arthroscopic surgery

gbengress1:

I wish him good luck but I hope he fails with Chelsea because if he succeeds, it will affect my team negatively, I hope d crisis in Chelsea continues, Up Gunners!bleep Chelsea!bleep Man Utd

AjanleKoko:

Great news.
The 94 class remains our best products to date. Keshi, Siasia, Amokachi, Finidi, Amuneke, and now Emenalo, all doing well in the coaching profession.

I wish him good luck but I hope he fails with Chelsea because if he succeeds, it will affect my team negatively, I hope d crisis in Chelsea continues, Up Gunners!bleep Chelsea!bleep Man Utd