Mourinho laments injury-hit squad
LONDON: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said he would struggle to find 16 fit first-team players for next Saturday's FA Cup sqaud to face Manchester United.
Speaking after the London side's 1-1 draw with Everton in the last match of the Premier League season, Mourinho said: "The reality is for the final I don't think we will have 16 players."
"It's a final, a big final where we want to give our best but the picture is not good," he said, adding he was not counting reserve keepers in the 16.
The Premier League runners-up lost midfielder John Obi Mikel to injury in the second half against Everton. "He has a muscular injury and I don't believe he can play the (FA Cup) game," said Mourinho.
The season's big signings striker Andriy Shevchenko (hernia) and midfielder Michael Ballack (ankle) are also out of the final, alongside Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho (knee).
Dutch winger Arjen Robben, who underwent knee surgery two months ago, might be fit for the bench, Mourinho added.
The Portuguese coach re-iterated he expected to be in charge at the start of next season but said he and his players were unhappy to have lost the title.
"I did the best I could," he added but said a positive to take from the season was equalling Liverpool's record set in the late 1970s and early '80s of 63 home league games without defeat.
His own record of home games without defeat stands at 98 since 2002 with Porto and continuing with Chelsea and he hoped to reach 100 at the start of next season.
Mourinho said the club would start to consider new signings after the Cup final and expected two or three to be brought in, especially as the side needed cover for next year's African Nations Cup, and two or three to leave.
Agencies
(China Daily 05/15/2007 page23)
