Chelsea Football Club News

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

• Ground:Stamford Bridge
• Capacity:42,440

Blues play down keeper blow

09 Apr 2008 - 08:08:51

Click To Enlarge

Chelsea boss Avram Grant has played down a potential crisis ahead of the Champions League semi-final meeting with Liverpool after seeing his first and second choice keepers pick up injuries.

The Blues set up a third semi-final meeting with their Merseyside rivals in four years after securing a 3-2 aggregate victory over Fenerbahce at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.

However, the victory came at a cost as Carlo Cudicini was forced off with a hamstring injury and has joined Petr Cech on the sidelines.

First choice Cech is expected to miss at least the next two weeks after requiring surgery on a facial injury picked up in training.

That could mean Grant is forced to play third choice keeper Henrique Hilario in at least the first leg of their semi-final at the end of the month.

Hilario came on for Cudicini on Tuesday night and Grant has backed the veteran Portuguese, in tandem with teenage reserve keeper Rhys Taylor, to rise to the challenge.

"The news is that is doesn't look so good for the moment with Carlo but we need to wait and see. It is his hamstring," he revealed.

"This year I am more a doctor than a manager, I need to answer every week about injuries.

"Hilario was good today. It is very important for a third goalkeeper when you need him - and we have needed him this year - for him to do a good job. It's not easy when you lose your goalkeeper.

"We have Hilario and have the goalkeeper from the youth team. He is a good goalkeeper."

Meanwhile, the Blues will also be without Michael Essien for the first leg against Liverpool after the midfielder picked up his third booking of the competition for dissent.