Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon expects Frank Lampard to honour the remainder of his contract if they cannot persuade him to sign a new deal.

Who can resist the sight of a wild but infinitely funded poker player relentlessly raising the stakes? It may not be good poker, indeed not even what the game is supposed to be about, but when you see a man drunk on something other than alcohol, and especially if it is his own power, you are bound to take a look.

Michel Platini, the Uefa president and most powerful man in European football, has launched an extraordinary attack on British football, accusing heavily indebted Chelsea and Manchester United of being "cheats" who win tournaments on the back of their debt.

Chelsea have not completely given up hope that they could make Carlo Ancelotti their manager this summer even though the Italian announced last night that he was not interested in leaving Milan. Ancelotti was sounded out by the London club this week and, under pressure to clarify his position yesterday, he made an informal announcement at the Milan training ground that he would not be leaving.

Avram Grant has fired the first shots in the battle of wills before next Wednesday's Champions League final by suggesting that Manchester United were helped by referees in their Premier League triumph this season. In a rare moment of controversy, the Chelsea manager said that some English referees had been subject to "influence" and that he was glad the final in Moscow would be refereed by a foreigner.

The title race is not yet over and the Champions League final is 13 days away, but today the battle over what happened between Manchester United's players and Chelsea's groundstaff on 26 April at Stamford Bridge commences. Chelsea will file their report which, sources at the club say, includes more incidents involving United players than those which have already been reported.

Manchester United's statements to the Football Association on the Stamford Bridge fracas between their players and members of Chelsea's ground staff will detail allegations that Patrice Evra was racially abused.

China's ambassador to Britain has pulled out of running in this weekend's Olympic torch relay ceremony in the first indication that growing international concern at the country's recent actions in Tibet is starting to become a major source of embarrassment for Beijing.

Malaysia may relax its ban on Israeli citizens to allow Chelsea's pre-season tour to go ahead. Chelsea have pencilled in a match against the Malaysian national side as part of a mini Asian tour in July but have said the club's Israeli coach Avram Grant and defender Tal Ben Haim would have to be allowed into the country. Now deputy prime minister Najib Tun Razak has said the ban may be lifted for the Chelsea pair.