Florent Malouda is ready to battle Yuri Zhirkov for a place in the Chelsea side.

The France international has started four of the six Premier League games this term, but £18million summer signing Zhirkov is now in the squad after overcoming a knee injury.

"Every player knows there will be competition," Malouda said in the Evening Standard. "When you have ambitions to go far in every competition you must have a strong squad.

“There is naturally competition and everybody is ready for that. That's our job and we train hard to prove to the manager we deserve to play and to make sure we stay in the team."

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