Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has praised his backroom team after making the most of a quiet week during the international break.
With most of the Blues first-team squad away, it has been an opportunity for the manager to work with some of the younger players at Cobham. Di Matteo will now step up preparations for Saturday lunchtime's Barclays Premier League game at Tottenham, with John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses having yesterday rejoined the group following their African Nations Cup qualifier against Liberia.
"This last week has been quite quiet for us - we've basically trained and coached the Under-21 team," Di Matteo said on the club's official website.
"We have had the groups together because we had only six players, last international break it was three, so it's good for us to take a look at the younger players and good for them to be involved with us."
Di Matteo feels his backroom staff of Steve Holland and Eddie Newton have all played a big part in helping take the European champions to the top of the Premier League. "We have a good understanding among the technical staff. They are very supportive and both have good knowledge of the game," he said.
"We have developed a strong trustworthy group, and we have [conditioning coach] Chris Jones and [goalkeeping coach] Christophe Lollichon with us as well, so I am happy with the management staff."
Di Matteo will be hoping England duo Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill show no ill effects from having a day's less recovery following the postponement of last night's World Cup qualifier in Poland. Frank Lampard (calf) and Ryan Bertrand (virus) did not make the trip to Warsaw, and continue to be assessed ahead of Saturday's game at White Hart Lane, after which comes a Champions League trip to Donetsk.
Source: team_talk
