Chelsea Football Club News

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

• Ground:Stamford Bridge
• Capacity:42,440

Keeper Blues for Chelsea

15 Oct 2006 - 12:00:20

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Chelsea face a potential goalkeeping crisis ahead of their Champions League meeting with Barcelona after both Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini were detained in hospital after suffering head injuries in Saturday's victory over Reading.

Both Cech and Cudicini – injured at the beginning and end of the 1-0 victory at the Madejski Stadium – face a race against time to be fit to face the European champions at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho slammed the challenge on Cech by Reading's Stephen Hunt, while Cudicini fell heavily following an accidental aerial collision with Ibrahima Sonko.

If neither keeper is deemed fit to play against Barcelona, Mourinho will have to call on third choice custodian Henrique Hilario, who arrived on a free transfer in the summer.

"To be angry doesn't help, I'll just wait for the keepers to leave hospital and to get a report on their injuries," said a concerned Mourinho.

"I have to wait and see what the Football Association will do about it and I'm also waiting to hear what the experts think of both incidents.

"Carlo, I think, was knocked out as a consequence of the way he hit the ground, but a knee coming at Petr like that, at such speed - the boy was even laughing afterwards.

"It was unbelievable and players should respect each other more than that."

However, Royals boss Steve Coppell has rubbished claims from his Chelsea counterpart that Hunt was laughing after the clash with Cech.

He said: "It was the first minute of the game and I have a player who has been desperate to play for a long time.

"It was a greasy surface and I think he does have a right to be there or thereabouts.

"Jose said something to Hunty but if he was laughing there is no way he was laughing at that.

"Nobody at this club likes to see anybody injured. Not one of my players would laugh at anyone being injured - guaranteed."