Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas confirmed yesterday that the Premier League club have accepted transfer requests from France striker Nicolas Anelka and Brazil defender Alex.

Neither Anelka or Alex featured in yesterday’s 3-0 win over Newcastle at St James’ Park amid reports that they had been ordered to train with the reserves after being told they were no long part of Villas-Boas’s plans.

Anelka has already been linked with a January move to mega-rich Russian club Anzi Machakala.

Villas-Boas said: “The conversation was fair and very, very frontal and direct with the players. The players have shown their interest in leaving the club, they have put in transfer requests for quite some time.

“They are top, top professionals – their professionalism and integrity is never in question – but at this moment and with the recent form and results, we have decided just to try to get the group together.

“We have decided to assign different training times for Anelka and Alex.

“Again, it was a frontal and direct conversation, the players were fantastic. The group was informed and they took on board the decision.”