Chelsea Football Club News

• Nickname:Blues
• Founded:1905
• Manager:Roberto Di Matteo

• Ground:Stamford Bridge
• Capacity:42,440

Blues eye defensive cover

18 Dec 2006 - 16:05:21

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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has admitted a lack of defensive cover could force him to open the chequebook in the new year.

Captain John Terry sat out Sunday's 3-2 victory over Everton and highlighted a weakness at the back for the Premiership champions with Khalid Boulahrouz and Ricardo Carvalho the only other regular central defenders on the Stamford Bridge books.

Mourinho sanctioned the sales of William Gallas and Robert Huth in the summer, but after seeing striker Didier Drogba employed as an emergency centre-half at Goodison Park, the Portuguese coach is weighing up a transfer window move.

"It was a bit risky to face the season with only three central defenders because in the past we always had Carvalho, Gallas, Terry and Robert Huth," he said.

"Because John Terry has not been injured for the past two seasons, we felt the fourth central defender was not playing a lot.

"But this season, John is having a few problems. He was suspended for a couple of games, then he was injured when we played Fulham and again on Sunday. It means we are short of a player."