Two-week break and an easy upcoming schedule could give walking wounded
time to heal

LONDON – When they won back-to-back Premiership titles under Jose
Mourinho, Chelsea were well-known as a team who refused to throw in the
towel until the final whistle.

Their campaigns in 2004/05 and 2005/06 were littered with matches where
they grabbed a goal at the death to snatch a point, and at times, a vital
three points.

On Sunday, with new boss Avram Grant in the dugout, the boot was very much
on the other foot for the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Leading Everton 1-0, Chelsea was shocked by a spectacular 90th minute Tim
Cahill equaliser which denied the home side three points and saw the Blues
go five points behind league leaders Manchester United.

It was significant that Cahill’s stylish bicycle-kick was executed without
Chelsea’s regular centre-back pairing of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho
in attendance, or with Petr Cech in between the posts.

But, despite the mounting casualty list in his defensive department, Grant
insisted yesterday that his side would bounce back and remain contenders
for the title.

Chelsea lost Carvalho during the first-half of the clash with Everton and
the seriousness of the Portuguese international’s back injury would only
be known after a scan, but a defiant Grant said: “We have too many
injuries at the moment, and it is not easy to play without key players
like Terry and Cech, as well as Paulo Ferreira.

“But this is why we have a big squad. We have players who can come in and
replace those who are injured.”

Grant definitely cannot afford to be shorn of three of his biggest
defensive stars for too long. But his brave front is possibly due to the
current two-week domestic break for internationals. It could not have come
at a better time as Chelsea fight to regroup. Besides, the Blues will not
face a stern test for at least a month in the shape of a Champions League
clash.

Indeed, Grant is convinced his team will return to action rejuvenated for
their match with bottom side Derby County on Nov 24.

He said: “I am sure that when we come back, we will quickly start to play
the good football that we have managed to play in our recent matches.”

The trickier Champions League tie follows next with a trip to Rosenborg,
but Grant and his men know they only need a win from either one of their
remaining two Group B games to qualify for the last 16.

Following Rosenborg, Chelsea’s next four games will be at home to
Sunderland, West Ham, Valencia (Champions League) and Liverpool, in a
tricky League Cup quarter-final on Dec 18.

That will be the Blues’ next big test, followed by a trip to Ewood Park
five days later to face Blackburn Rovers in the Premiership.

By this time, Grant will want at least a couple of his big-name defenders
back in the starting XI.

After taking over from Jose Mourinho in September, Grant vowed to create a
Chelsea team that placed more emphasis on attacking flair than that of his
predecessor.

They had plenty of chances to score against Everton to extend their run of
five successive league wins, but Grant’s team found American goalkeeper
Tim Howard in magnificent form.

Said Grant: “When a team wants to play attacking football, it is normal
that they will try to score the second and third goals after they have
scored the first.

“They had one chance and scored – we scored one goal from many chances.

“I am happy with the football, but not with the result. The most important
thing is that we continued to play good football.

“We showed we have a good squad and good players. I am happy.” – Agencies