Carlo Ancelotti remains wary of the threat of Manchester United's midfield even though Chelsea's Community Shield tormentor will be missing from tomorrow's Stamford Bridge showdown.
The Blues had no answer to Paul Scholes' virtuoso performance at Wembley in this season's curtain-raiser, with the veteran playmaker cutting them open almost at will.
The faltering champions will be spared a repeat performance tomorrow, with Scholes ruled out of the crunch Barclays Premier League match.
Chelsea boss Ancelotti believes United's midfield is weaker without Scholes but is refusing to underestimate the likes of Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and the rejuvenated Anderson.
He said: "Scholes has fantastic skills but Manchester United play very well also without Scholes because they have very good midfielders. Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson now is coming back very well.
"Without Scholes, they play with a little bit less quality in midfield because Scholes has a fantastic ability to switch the play with long balls and I think that for this reason they will play more short."
While United have coped well during Scholes' four-week absence, Chelsea have struggled in recent matches without their own midfield star, Frank Lampard.
The 32-year-old's long-awaited return from injury is therefore a huge boost for an under-pressure Ancelotti, although expecting him to single-handedly transform their fortunes is perhaps a little too much to ask.
"Frank Lampard's comeback is very important news for us," said Ancelotti, who urged fans not to expect his vice-captain to be the hero tomorrow.
"We don't need to have a hero.
"We need to have a player that is able to score 20 goals from midfield, as he did last year.
"He's maintained his skills and, for us, he'll be very important."
Lampard will start tomorrow, as will Didier Drogba, who was controversially dropped to the bench for Sunday's 1-1 draw at Tottenham.
The striker's second-half introduction changed the game: he scored his side's equaliser and should also have netted a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot.
Asked if he left Drogba out to make him angry and produce that kind of response, Ancelotti said: "No. I think he was not happy, obviously, to start from the bench.
"But he had a good reaction."
Drogba himself told Chelsea TV: "I have been on the bench many times in my career and what was more disappointing was missing the penalty."
He will not be on spot-kick duty tomorrow, with Lampard reclaiming that role.
Chelsea badly need a victory to arrest their worst run of form in the league for more than a decade.
Their five-match winless streak has seen them drop from first to fourth and they have taken just six of the last 21 points on offer.
Tomorrow's game is a genuine six-pointer, with a Chelsea win enough to lift them back above new leaders United.
Defeat, on the other hand, would leave them six adrift having played a game more.
"I don't want to think that we will lose this game, because it could be a strong gap to recover," said Ancelotti.
"But I think it's not the deciding game."
Indeed, Ancelotti was keen to point out his Juventus side blew a nine-point lead late in the 1999-2000 Serie A season.
"I want to mention to you that I lost the championship in Italy when nine points up with eight games to go," he said.
"We lost the championship in the last game.
"Nine points is a big gap but it's not a decisive gap."