Facing the first mini-crisis of his Chelsea career, Jose Mourinho will field an injury-hit team in Wednesday's Champions League game against Barcelona where he learned his coaching trade.
The 42-year-old Portuguese, who worked at the Nou Camp under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal, won the Champions League with Porto last season and until last weekend few would have betted against his lifting it again in Istanbul in May.
The Premier League leaders have been hit by a spate of injuries, however, while Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona, seven points clear in Spain, look slick, inventive and confident ahead of the first knockout stage first leg match.
The London side lost inspirational Dutch winger Arjen Robben to a broken foot a fortnight ago and Ivorian striker Dider Drogba to a thigh strain.
On Sunday Mourinho's woes were compounded by the loss of left wing back Wayne Bridge with a broken ankle and the possible absence of forward Damien Duff and defender William Gallas.
All three were injured during Chelsea's 1-0 defeat by Newcastle United in the FA Cup fifth round, only their third defeat in any competition this season and one which came at a psychologically damaging moment.
In one of the biggest weeks of their history, Chelsea follow the Barcelona game with the League Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday. For all owner Roman Abramovich's lavish spending on his multinational team, Chelsea suddenly look depleted.
"I'm not the sort of person to cry about injuries," said Mourinho, dubbed arrogant and confident in equal measure, by English commentators since he arrived last June.
Serb Mateja Kezman, who has lost his scoring touch since arriving from PSV Eindhoven last July, and Icelander Eidur Gudjohnsen are likely to fill the forward gaps with Glen Johnson playing at left back if Frenchman Gallas fails to recover.
FLOOD OF CONFIDENCE
After a mid-season wobble with defeats against Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, Barcelona's confidence has flooded back following victories over Real Zaragoza and Real Mallorca.
Unlike Mourinho against Newcastle, Rijkaard fielded his full-strength side for the 2-0 win over Mallorca.
Centre back Carles Puyol, playmaker Xavi and mercurial Ronaldinho picked up minor knocks although none of them should have problems making Wednesday's match.
Rijkaard's only serious doubt is centre back Oleguer Presas who missed the Mallorca game because of a pelvic injury.
While World Player of the Year Ronaldinho and his recently crowned African counterpart Samuel Eto'o have monopolised attention for much of the season, midfielder Deco grabbed the headlines this weekend for his neatly taken double.
The Portugal international, a key element of Mourinho's triumphant Porto side last season, is cautiously optimistic about Barcelona's prospects.
"I don't think there is any clear favourite," he says. "They might have the edge over us as a unit but we have individual players that are more capable of turning the game.
"We can't afford to lose concentration for a minute. Mourinho is a very good coach and he will have prepared for this game very carefully and will know everything about the way we play but I think we've got the individual talent to win the tie."
Probable teams:
Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 2-Juliano Belletti, 5-Carles Puyol, 4-Rafael Marquez, 12-Giovanni van Bronckhorst; 22-Demetrio Albertini, 6-Xavi, 20-Deco; 8-Ludovic Giuly, 10-Ronaldinho, 9-Samuel Eto'o.
Chelsea: 1-Petr Cech; 20-Paulo Ferreira, 6-Ricardo Carvalho, 5-John Terry, 2-Glen Johnson or 13-William Gallas; 30-Tiago, 4-Claude Makelele, 8-Frank Lampard; 10-Joe Cole, 22-Eidur Gudjohnsen, 9-Mateja Kezman or 11-Damien Duff.
Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden)
(Additional reporting by Simon Baskett)
© 2024 Rediff.com -