CHELSEA have revealed their plan to deal with the missiles launched by Stoke City 's Rory Delap on Sunday.

Branislav Ivanovic is the man detailed to deal head on, literally, with the massive throw-ins that cause chaos everywhere Delap reaches for his drying towel .

The Blues must win all three remaining games to bring the Premier League trophy back to Stamford Bridge, and the reliance of Stoke on set pieces could cause big problems for a defence missing suspended John Terry .

Ivanovic returned from injury against Spurs last Saturday, and was deployed as a substitute right-back in the 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane.

Boss Carlo Ancelotti rued the fact he was not available from kick off.

"Ivanovic was not able to play 90 minutes, and so we had some problems at the start of the game," the manager said.

The recent derby against Wolves highlighted Stoke reliance on Delap's long-throw.

He took 27 throw-ins in 90 minutes, while making just 26 passes in the more orthodox manner. Chelsea, meanwhile, have had problems for some time organising themselves at defensive set-pieces.

Ivanovic, famously the scorer of two headed goals at Anfield in last season's Champions League, will be central to Chelsea's defensive strategy every time Delap winds up for a throw.

As with last weekend, Chelsea's main rivals play before they run out at Stamford Bridge .

Should rivals Manchester United beat Tottenham at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson's side will top the table on Saturday night.

Ancelotti says he and the team are used to the pressure.

He said: "There are now just two or three games to the end of the season. All the teams are involved in important things, in important games. So to be put under pressure is absolutely normal.

"We will try to control this, but I think my players have character and concentration to maintain an atmosphere of calm and quiet, staying focussed on our match."

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