Chelsea's Essien extends contract to 2015

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has extended his contract with the Premier League champions by two years until 2015, the club said on their website (www.chelseaafc.com). The 27-year-old Ghana international, who has been ruled out of the June 11-July 11 World Cup with a knee injury, has not played for Chelsea since tearing a hamstring in December. He then damaged his knee on international duty in January. "I am very happy that Michael has agreed to extend his time with us, as it means he will continue to be a very important player for Chelsea long into the future," said manager Carlo Ancelotti. Essien has made 185 appearances for the London club since arriving from Olympique Lyon in 2005, scoring 22 goals. (Reporting by Toby Davis; Editing by John Mehaffey; To query or comment on this story email [email protected])