Chelsea may be 6/4 to win the Premier League but star striker Nicolas Anelka has said the tension in the French World Cup squad was like a “time-bomb waiting to explode”.

France had a disastrous tournament as they crashed out in the group stages and had well-publicised disputes within the camp.

Anelka was sent home from the competition in South Africa after a bust-up with the national manager Raymond Domenech.

A strike by the players followed which saw the squad refuse to train ahead of their final Group A game with South Africa.

Anelka has stated that the squad were united in their feelings towards the national set-up at the tournament (France 14/1 to win the 2012 European Championships).

He said: “If it hadn’t been me that brought everything to a head, it would have been someone else. It was a time-bomb waiting to explode.

“Everyone, and I really mean everyone, was as one,” he added.

Anelka will now be looking to prepare for the Premier League season as defending champions Chelsea look to repeat their form from the last campaign which saw them win the league and FA Cup double for the first time in their history.