Malouda Wary of Competition

Florent Malouda is aware that he faces intense competition to retain a place in Chelsea’s first team, but the winger believes he is close to his best form.

The Frenchman began to show evidence at the end of last season that he had finally settled in England following a £13.5million move from Lyon in 2007.

Malouda has carried those good performances into the current campaign as the boys in chelsea football shirts have made a 100 per cent start to the 2009/10 Premier League.

But ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wigan, the 30-year-old acknowledges that a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s first XI is not guaranteed.

“Every player who joins Chelsea 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 so 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.”