Redknapp: "Chelsea incomplete without Essien"

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp claims Chelsea are incomplete without injured Ghana ace Michael Essien.

 
Chelsea have been far from convincing in two Premier League matches without the midfielder although they have a four-point advantage over closet challengers Manchester United.

 
Ancelotti's men have picked up five points from a possible 15- a 3-3 draw at home with Everton; a hard-fought 2-1 win over Portsmouth and last Sunday's one-all draw at West Ham.

 
Redknapp, a Daily Mail Newspaper columnist, wrote: "Michael Essien is known as 'The Train' and Chelsea are missing his dynamism after he picked up a hamstring injury against APOEL in the Champions League."  

 
"Chelsea are a different animal without Essien, because his understudies, Michael Ballack and John Mikel Obi, are very similar and not so multi-dimensional.

 
"Scott Parker was excellent again for West Ham. His performance highlighted how much Chelsea miss Essien."

 
Essien is hamstrung and said to be recuperating well for Ghana's Africa Cup of Nations which kick-starts on 10 January.