August
15 Hull (H)
18 Sunderland (A)
22 Fulham (A)
29 Burnley (H)

September
12 Stoke (A)
19 Tottenham (H)
26 Wigan (A)

October
3 Liverpool (H)
17 Aston Villa (A)
24 Blackburn (H)
31 Bolton (A)

November
7 Man Utd (H)
21 Wolverhampton (H)
28 Arsenal (A)

December
5 Man City (A)
12 Everton (H)
16 Portsmouth (H)
19 West Ham (A)
26 Birmingham (A)
28 Fulham (H)

January
9 Hull (A)
16 Sunderland (H)
27 Birmingham (H)
30 Burnley (A)

February
6 Arsenal (H)
10 Everton (A)
20 Wolverhampton (A)
27 Man City (H)

March
6 Portsmouth (A)
13 West Ham (H)
20 Blackburn (A)
27 Aston Villa (H)

April
3 Man Utd (A)
10 Bolton (H)
17 Tottenham (A)
24 Stoke (H)

May
1 Liverpool (A)
9 Wigan (H)

Italian star Andrea Pirlo has again refused to rule out a move to Chelsea this summer.

Indeed the AC Milan midfielder admits he could be tempted by what he sees could be a 'new chapter' in his career.

The 30-year-old has seen his former boss Carlo Ancelotti move to Stamford Bridge and he seems more than a little tempted at the prospect of joining him in West London.

Speaking from South Africa, where he is competing in the Confederations Cup with Italy, he revealed he was thinking about his future.

"Perhaps it's possible that I could join Ancelotti in London," said Pirlo.

"He is a great coach, perhaps I could play with him again.

"I've been at Milan a long time and maybe it's time for a new chapter in my career.

"I will think about my future at the end of the season. I don't know if I'll continue with Milan.

BRAZIL prodigy Alex Pato is urging Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti to sign him for the second time.

The AC Milan striker, 19, is on the Italian chief’s wish-list as he bids to freshen up Blues’ ageing squad.

Ancelotti brought Pato to the San Siro from Internacional in 2007 and his breathtaking form has seen him given a £45million price tag.

Pato said: “Carlo Ancelotti is very important to me, as a coach and a person.

“I feel a sense of owing him a great deal. I have a contract with Milan, but I would be interested if Ancelotti were to call.”

RAFA BENITEZ'S pursuit of England full-back Glen Johnson has stalled - after Portsmouth accepted a rival £17.5million bid from Chelsea.

Liverpool boss Benitez had an offer accepted for Johnson, 24, on Monday.

He was hoping to tie up the transfer this week only for Chelsea to have now matched the Reds' approach.

Johnson has told friends he favours a move to Merseyside after a miserable time at Stamford Bridge between 2003 and 2007, where he made just 35 league starts.

Yet Chelsea are hoping to tempt him back to the capital with a more lucrative wage package.

Johnson's departure from Fratton Park remains inevitable though.

Pompey executive chairman Peter Storrie said: "The matter will come to a conclusion at the beginning of next week. I do not have a preference over the move, it is up to Glen.

"The deals are almost identical so it really is down to him and what club he prefers, which one is going to pay him more money.

"Glen wants to play regularly in the Champions League, he has got himself back in the England side so I understand that. Sometimes you have to be fair to players."

Johnson's performances for Pompey last season elevated him into the position of Fabio Capello's No 1 right-back.

And with the World Cup in South Africa less than 12 months away, he is conscious that unless he is playing Champions League football he could miss out.

Storrie added: "It's a big year for him with the World Cup coming up.

"Playing Champions League football will make him an even better player than he is today."

Also on his way is Pompey defender Djimi Traore, who is joining French outfit Monaco on a free.

The ex-Liverpool full-back was on loan last season at Birmingham and has failed to land a new deal at Fratton Park. He had a Monaco medical yesterday and is set to pen a three-year deal.

could prise José Bosingwa from Chelsea.

The Portugal defender cost £15.8 million when he moved from Porto a year ago and Chelsea will be reluctant to allow him to leave until a replacement can be found.

Paulo Ferreira and Juliano Belletti are recognised right backs, but Chelsea favoured playing Branislav Ivanovic in the position last season in the absence of Bosingwa.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the chairman of Bayern, said that he was hopeful of a deal. Willy Sagnol, the right back, was forced to retire because of injury, while Massimo Oddo failed to impress after a loan spell from AC Milan. “We are holding talks, but we still need the approval of Chelsea,” he said. “He is one of the best right full backs around.”

Bosingwa and Chelsea are expected to appeal against their punishments in the wake of their Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona last month. No decision has been taken because they have not received a written explanation of the punishments from Uefa. Bosingwa was handed a three-match ban for accusing Tom Henning Ovrebo, the Norwegian referee, of being “a thief”, while Didier Drogba was banned for four matches.

Chelsea have agreed to sell Ben Sahar to Espanyol for just under £1 million. The striker, who has been offered a four-year contract, played only three games in as many years since he moved from Hapoel Tel-Aviv.

Ray Wilkins, the Chelsea assistant first-team coach, has claimed that some players are overlooking the benefits of the Barclays Premier League. Kaká chose to move to Real Madrid from AC Milan and David Villa, the Valencia striker, looks likely to follow. “Are some of these players taking the slightly softer option in going to Real Madrid and staying somewhere where they know and not taking up the challenge elsewhere?” he said. “Our league is the best league in the world.”

Any Portsmouth fans wanting to push forward the £18m sale of Glen Johnson had the opportunity to do so for a short time last night, as they could have bought a new Liverpool shirt with the England right-back's name on the back from the official club store. It's a story that truly has transfer window silly season written all over it.

Much like the Chelsea gaffe that led to them offering Robinho shirts online before Manchester City gazumped them in such brazen fashion, the Liverpool official website had added Johnson's name to the list of choices.

The £52 plus p&p price tag might seem hefty, but if every Pompey fan buys one then their club will be assured of earning a nice little nest egg just in case their rather fishy-looking takeover collapses.

Johnson's name has since been removed from the list of options online, in an embarrassing piece of hasty editing that is all too familiar to Early Doors.

It's strange how this actually made it online. Somebody intentionally put his name up there, but thought to add the TBC caveat. Surely it's all or nothing?

Anyway, who would want 'Johnson TBC' on their back? Mind you, ED has seen all sorts of things on the back of football jerseys in the past, from 'We 8 Millwall' to 'Pill Head 4 Life' (presumably a shortened one). Can anyone top that?

Either way, Liverpool are setting themselves up for a fall if, say, City steam in with a ludicrous late offer. Obviously £18m for a right-back isn't a ludicrous offer already. Oh no. That's around two thirds of Fernando Torres, or almost three Andrea Dossenas. Perhaps a fair price then.

Johnson is currently on holiday, with things all set to be signed and sealed upon his return, but we all know how deals can go pear-shaped at the last minute.

For a fee of that size, there will be considerable wages and a signing-on fee to add on top that the club might take exception too, or the player may fail his medical or have a sudden change of heart.