Chelsea call for 'respect' ahead of derby

Chelsea have called on their fans to show "respect" ahead of what is set to be a highly-charged west London Premier League derby away to Queens Park Rangers. The match will be the first between the clubs since Chelsea and England defender John Terry was found not guilty of using a racial slur against the Hoops' Anton Ferdinand in the corresponding fixture last October. Terry, still the subject of a Football Association investigation over charges he has always denied, is set to be fit for Saturday's game following an ankle injury suffered on England duty. Ferdinand is also recovering from a shoulder injury, meaning the defenders are on course to come face to face for the first time since the Chelsea captain's race trial in July. The match could also feature Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, following his appearance as a character witness for Terry. In a statement on their website, Chelsea said: "Last January's FA Cup match at QPR and the meeting between the sides in April at Stamford Bridge were good examples of passionate and vocal rivalry with the fans of both clubs recognising that abuse and discrimination have no place in a football stadium, nor anywhere else in society." Thursday's statement added: "Chelsea Football Club wishes to see the level of respect at those games continued throughout this campaign, as it has been in our opening matches. "Both Chelsea and QPR will work together with the police to ensure that anyone using discriminatory or inflammatory language on Saturday is identified, and that the strongest possible action is taken against them." The pre-match handshake ritual that is a standard feature of Premier League matches was abandoned in advance of the previous two Chelsea-QPR fixtures and there has been speculation as to whether it will be re-instated for this weekend's fixture.