Chelsea's caretaker
manager Roberto Di Matteo is hoping to avoid what he described
on Tuesday as the "worst-case scenario" with reserves and
youngsters on the bench for the Champions League final against
Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Di Matteo, whose future whether Chelsea win or lose the game
at Bayern's Allianz Arena is far from certain, said he was
facing one of the biggest challenges of his career especially as
Chelsea have four players suspended and possibly three senior
men missing with injuries.
Captain John Terry, defender Branislav Ivanovic and
midfielders Raul Meireles and Ramires are all banned from the
final while Di Matteo said Florent Malouda was "touch and go"
after pulling a hamstring during the first half of Sunday's
final Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers.
David Luiz and Gary Cahill also have hamstring injuries, but
were training on Tuesday after missing most of the last month.
Di Matteo told a packed marquee at Chelsea's training ground
in Cobham, south of London: "Flo [Malouda], we'll still assess
and it's going to be touch and go for him to be available for
Saturday."
Di Matteo would be forced to complete his bench with
reserves and youngsters if Luiz and Cahill were also out.
"That's the worse-case scenario," he said.
"We will take some reserve-team players onto the bench, into
the squad, and just figure out what to do. I've been trying
different options in training and different solutions just in
case."
While Saturday's game could be Di Matteo's last in charge of
Chelsea, he said all he was thinking about after the final was
having a holiday.
He refused to be drawn on a possible move back to one of his
former clubs, West Bromwich Albion, after being sacked from
there as manager last year.
"In my life, I've gone back to an ex-girlfriend and it
didn't work out. I'm not sure whether it's the right move," he
said.
Di Matteo did not think Chelsea had gained any advantage
after Bayern lost the German Cup final 5-2 to Borussia Dortmund
in Berlin on Saturday.
"I don't think that will have any effect on the Bayern
team," he told reporters. "They are extremely professional and
they will move on from it very quickly as they know they have a
big game on Saturday. I don't think it gives us any advantage."
He also played down the idea that Bayern would benefit from
playing the game in their own stadium.
"It might give them a bit of an advantage because they know
the environment and the pitch, but because they are playing at
home there might be more pressure on them so I am not sure it
gives them a real advantage at all."
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