Carlo Ancelotti wants to avoid both Milan teams and Bayern Munich in today's Champions League draw.
The Chelsea coach believes Inter Milan and Bayern Munich represent the strongest threat to Chelsea's progress in the competition while going back to former club AC Milan would be an emotional moment for him.
The Blues can be matched with one of seven teams in the draw for the last 16 of the competition and while there are many teams familiar to Chelsea, Ancelotti has already pinpointed the ones he wants to avoid.
"The best teams in the group we could play, the most dangerous teams, are Inter Milan and Bayern Munich," said Ancelotti.
"I prefer to avoid AC Milan for personal reasons and also the other two teams I prefer to avoid because they are strong. But if you want to win the Champions League you have to accept the draw."
Milan provided Chelsea with their first ever Champions League group stage opposition a decade ago, before Ancelotti was in charge, and although the Blues have played Inter in pre-season friendlies, Jose Mourinho's side have not met them in a competitive fixture.
Greek side Olympiacos were opponents at this stage of the tournament when Chelsea progressed to the final in Moscow two seasons ago - drawing 0-0 in Athens and winning 3-0 in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
A tie against Bayern will give midfielder Michael Ballack the chance to return to the club where won the German league and cup double on three occasions.
Chelsea, under Mourinho, knocked the German giants out in the quarter-finals in 2004/05 season. That, however, was in the old Olympia stadium. Bayern have since moved to the futuristic Allianz Arena.
CSKA Moscow, the former home of Chelsea midfielder Yury Zhirkov, were beaten twice in the group stage in 2004/05, the same season Bayern Munich were defeated.
They are playing their Champions League matches in the Luzhniki Stadium, so Chelsea could return to the scene of their penalty shoot-out defeat by United in 2008.
For the first time the matches in the opening knockout round will be spread over four weeks, with half the first-leg ties on February 16/17 and the other half on February 23/24. Four of the second-leg ties are on March 9/10 with the remaining ones on March 16/17.
Meanwhile, midfielder Frank Lampard insists Chelsea can fend off any new year title push from Manchester United after the Blues halted their mini-crisis with a hard-earned 2-1 victory over bottom club Portsmouth.
Chelsea are now three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier but United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes his side will emerge triumphant in the title race because they're traditionally stronger after Christmas. But Lampard disagrees.
"United have a history of doing it but we've had a history of doing it as well," declared Lampard. "We're very determined.
"We had a really bad time around this time last year but when Guus Hiddink came in we were in the best form by far of anyone in the League. We can do that again."
Chelsea now face Lampard's former club West Ham on Sunday at Upton Park and he is convinced that former Blues duo Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke can save the Hammers from the drop.
Lampard has been jeered by West Ham fans every time he has returned to Upton Park following his £11million move to Chelsea in 2001.
But he is not gloating about their plight near the foot of the Premier League.
"It's difficult for West Ham at the moment," he said. "They have a lot of financial difficulties and have had to sell a lot of players.
"I have a lot of respect for Gianfranco and Clarkey and I don't want to see them do badly at all. They're great lads. It's difficult but then it's a difficult league."
Ancelotti hopes to avoid big guns | ESPNSTAR.com
