Malouda signs new Blues contract

Florent Malouda has signed a new three-year deal at Chelsea.

The France international revealed last month that he had agreed terms on a contract extension at Stamford Bridge and he has now put pen-to-paper on the deal to keep him in West London until 2012.

Malouda, who joined Chelsea from Lyon in 2007, enjoyed his best season to date for the club last term with the winger producing a string of consistent displays under Guus Hiddink.

“We agreed during my holidays and I have signed now I’ve come back,” Malouda told the club’s official website.

“I am really happy because it shows a mutual trust between the club and myself and for me it is just the beginning of the story.

“The last six months especially I was feeling great, plus we won a trophy that was really important to me. I feel really good and you can see it on the pitch and I hope we get more trophies.

Malouda is looking forward to working under new Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti and he revealed he has been asked to play in a new position by the Italian.

“I was really happy when I heard it was Carlo Ancelotti because I have a lot of respect for him and at my former club Lyon I played many times against Milan. For me it is a really good choice and I believe in him,” added Malouda.

“This year he wants to try the new system with a diamond so I have to adapt myself and that is why we are training really hard to do what the manager wants.

“It is a different role for me but that is part of my game, I can play in many positions, and I have played it a few times in Lyon when there were injuries and in the France national team I have played many times this position.”

Ballack picks up toe injury

Michael Ballack faces a fight to be fit for the start of the new season after picking up an injury in training.

Ballack sustained a toe injury during Chelsea’s trip to the United States and he has been ruled out of the rest of the tour

The 32-year-old has been forced to return to England to have treatment on the injury.

It is feared the German may have broken his toe, meaning Ballack is a major doubt for the Community Shield against Manchester United on 9th August and the start of the Premier League season at home to Hull on 15th August.

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Ballack is struggling with a toe problem, but that he has no other injury concerns to deal with.

“Ballack yesterday took a knock on the toe, but everybody else is okay and didn’t have injuries in this period,” Ancelotti told the club’s official website.

The Blues arrive in Seattle

After a slight delay, the travelling Blues party touched down in Seattle on Thursday afternoon in blistering heat.

With news of Joe Cole’s operation before the departure ruling him out of flying, and Paulo Ferreira’s continued rehabilitation after cruciate ligament damage, it was an otherwise full squad that departed for America.

After transfer to the team hotel in downtown Seattle, there was a traditional team stroll before some free time.

Training will commence on Friday with a double session before the first game of the tour on Saturday, against the new MLS team Seattle Sounders.

During day two of Chelsea’s US tour, the squad visited Seahawks training facility in Renton, Washington. Frank Lampard, John Terry, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack took tips from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck before heading over to their 4pm PT training session at Qwest Field.

Chelsea are preparing for tomorrow’s 3pm ET game against Seattle Sounders, which will be televised live on ESPN2.

A beautiful setting, beautiful weather, a sell-out 69,000 crowd awaiting tomorrow and jaw-dropping training facilities – it’s pretty easy to see why Chelsea chose to begin the 2009 tour of the United States in Seattle.