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African trio boost Blues Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has been boosted by the availability of African trio Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel for Monday's visit of Fulham.

Ancelotti had expected to be without all three as they prepare for the impending African Nations Cup but the Blues have managed to secure an agreement with their national teams to delay their departures until Tuesday.

Chelsea will still be without Nicolas Anelka (muscular), Michael Essien (hamstring) and Jose Bosingwa (knee) while Florent Malouda serves a one-game ban.

Ancelotti believes his side are still on track to win the Barclays Premier League title despite their alarming mid-season wobble.

The Blues have won just one of their last five league games, and one in seven in all competitions, following the goalless draw at in-form Birmingham on Boxing Day, with defending champions Manchester United chasing them in second place.

"It's not our best moment; one victory in seven is not good for us," Ancelotti admitted.

"I don't see a big problem though. I think we have some problems, because we have two players out who are very good in Nicolas Anelka and Michael Essien and we don't always play well. But not against Birmingham - in this match I think we played good football.

"Our aim is to win the title and we are at the top of the table at the moment. This was the half-way point in the season and we're top so that's good for us." As for whether Chelsea can hold on and be top by the time the season ends in May, Ancelotti added: "We hope to be.

"If we do a good job and work hard like we have until now, then I think we can win it.

"It's normal, I think. In our mind it is impossible to win the title in December. You have to win the title in May and you have to be ready in May because I think it will be a long race right until the end of the season." Fulham defender Brede Hangeland could miss the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Hangeland sustained a knee injury while warming up for the goalless draw with Tottenham on Boxing Day and while he completed the match, he is a doubt for the west London derby.

Right-back John Pantsil will play his last game for Fulham before departing for the African Nations Cup while Andy Johnson could feature after recovering from his groin injury.

Roy Hodgson has advised caution over unrealistic expectations as Fulham attempt to complete an outstanding year.

Pundits have been queuing up to shower Hodgson's Fulham with praise as the club continues to punch above its weight under the guidance of their astute manager.

They finished last season's Barclays Premier League campaign in an all-time high of seventh, qualifying for the Europa League, and continue to thrive this term.

A last 32 appointment with Shakhtar Donetsk awaits in Europe while the club enter Monday's Bank Holiday round of fixtures in ninth place, five points above Sunderland.

Evidence of their growing ambition could be gleaned from their frustration at failing to dispatch Champions League-chasing Tottenham in Saturday's goalless draw at Craven Cottage.

Just seven days earlier they thumped champions Manchester United 3-0 and west London rivals Chelsea will face a side brimming with confidence.

But while Hodgson agrees Fulham fans should be revelling in the success, he implores them not to lose sight of the club's limitations.

"Our blank sheet of paper at the start of the season said stay up," he said.

"I'm delighted with the way things are going, especially for the chairman because he's had many bad years.

"The fans are enjoying it and this is a very good moment in our history.

"But if we ever start thinking this is easy, we'll be heading for a fall.

"Just look at clubs like Leeds, Charlton and Norwich - who'd have thought it possible that they'd be where they are now? "Our message to the fans is let's keep enjoying it but to not lose sight of why it's happening. Let's not get carried away.

"We'll never have more than 24,000 people watching our games in our wonderful old stadium.

"We won't have a ground like the Emirates or Old Trafford because this is who we are.

"We are near the maximum of what we can be, but we can stay here.

Chelsea vs Fulham

Last modified 14:26 07/01/10

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When a win takes a side five points clear, it is hard to get your head around the idea that it might have been a decisive turning point.

Yet for Carlo Ancelotti, a victory chiseled out of the rocks of a potentially crushing defeat, with arch-nemesis Jose Mourinho watching on, could prove to be precisely that.

With 17 minutes left and Chelsea still trailing to Zoltan Gera’s early opener, Ancelotti’s side were suddenly facing crisis point.

Not only would it have been one win in six and 12 points dropped from 18.

But at that point, they faced the prospect that the next time they kicked a ball in the Premier League - with Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien all out in Africa - they would have been third behind Manchester United and Arsenal.

Chelsea managers have been sacked for less, even ones recruited at Roman Abramovich’s insistence, and as James Bond fan Ancelotti decided diamonds were for 45 minutes rather than for ever, the Italian was genuinely under pressure.

His side, even with Kalou and Joe Cole playing as auxiliary wingers, were getting frustrated by Fulham’s stoic resistance, desperation efforts from distance hinting at their lack of conviction, too many moves petering out before getting a sight of Mark Schwarzer.

But out of nowhere, Ancelotti’s changes worked their magic to transform the mood of the afternoon, the confidence of the Chelsea dressing room - and perhaps the tide of the season.

First Branislav Ivanovic, thrown on and asked to bomb down the right, delivered Chelsea’s first decent cross of the afternoon, which found Drogba soaring behind Chris Baird to power home his 19th of the season.

Baird had moved there when John Pantsil was forced off with a potentially season-ending knee injury.

And then three minutes later, the pivotal moment, a heartbreaking one for Fulham’s rookie centre-half Chris Smalling as the Northern Ireland international was again caught out of position.

Smalling, drafted in for his Premier League bow to replace Brede Hangeland, had been outstanding and was in exactly the right position when Schwarzer parried unmarked substitute Daniel Sturridge’s cross-shot.

But it meant Smalling could do nothing as the ball rebounded goalwards off his knee, his desperate efforts to recover only succeeding in ensuring the ball ended up, cruelly, in the back of his own net.

Suddenly, an afternoon which could have begun the real problems for Ancelotti - bringing a smile to Champions League rival Mourinho’s face from his berth in the West Stand - was transformed, even though there were still moments of doubt in front of a hesitant Petr Cech.

Ancelotti knew it could have been very different and the jeers that had thundered round the Bridge at half-time may have been repeated and intensified had Bobby Zamora capitalised on Ricardo Carvalho’s woeful back-header two minutes after the interval.

At that stage, no question, Fulham were value for their advantage.

The goal could not have been more simple in construction, as Ancelotti’s decision to change half his outfield side, including three of the back line, left Chelsea disjointed and behind.

Ancelotti was still screaming at Paulo Ferreira for not blocking off Paul Konchesky’s run down the left when the full-back’s cross was headed against Zamora by John Terry.

But what followed was criminal, a complete lack of reaction from the Blues' defence, allowing Gera to run back, turn and hook past the laboured dive of Cech.

Chelsea looked to respond but it was all one-paced, with no penetration down the flanks and Drogba having one of those halves when he spent more time off the pitch requiring “treatment“ than actually looking to expose Hangeland’s novice stand-in Smalling.

Frank Lampard tested Schwarzer from distance, while Drogba - who became embroiled in a running spat with John Pantsil - fired at the keeper.

Those two moments apart, though, Chelsea did not look like breaking Fulham down and had Cech not flipped Clint Dempsey’s side-footer over the bar it might have been beyond salvation.

It surely would have been when Zamora wasted his opening and while Chelsea, now operating in a 4-3-3, dominated, they were running out of ideas when Drogba produced his going away present.

Kalou was the width of the bar away from claiming a third but despite a few edgy moments at the back, Chelsea clung on to put the ball firmly back in United and Arsenal’s court.

Unconvincing, but top and with clear Blue water between them and the pack.