14/5: Cup Final Injury Woes Mount For Mourinho…
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admits he may have only 15 fit players for the FA Cup final with Manchester United.
After victory over Everton, Mourinho spearheaded a lap of honour around the Stamford Bridge pitch with his players after the game and insisted that it was a thank you gesture to the fans rather than a fond farewell.
Midfielder John Obi Mikel limped off late in the second half and Mourinho has added him to an injury list that already includes Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole and Arjen Robben.
Mourinho declared: “We have lost Mikel and the reality is that for a final like we have on Saturday, I don’t think we have 16 players.
“Mikel has a muscle injury so I don’t believe he can play the game and in such a game, where everybody wants to play, and we want to present the best possible team, I don’t think we have 16 players.
“Ballack is limping, Carvalho is limping, Robben limping, so the picture is not a good one. It is a big final and something we want very much to win and the 11 players I play will play with a big spirit.
“Robben has a chance of being on the bench. He has not trained for months. He trained for two days to be on the bench against Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield and to try and give us something, but has not trained since. I don’t think he can give us more than a little bit.
“Carvalho has no chance. Ashley Cole has a chance. Ballack and Shevchenko are out and at this moment I have 15 players and two extra goalkeepers.
“I could not rest more players because I didn’t have them. I gave a rest to Claude Makelele and Michael Essien, all the other players were not ready.
“I could not protect more players. I was trying to end the season in the best possible way - without a defeat and having the record.
“The positive thing is the record because we can say it has been three consecutive years without defeat at home in the Premiership.
“We can say that we share the record with a historic Liverpool team. We are very proud of that. We have the chance next season by not losing the first game at home to have the record just for us.
“But to share it with such a Liverpool team is already great but to have it to ourselves, I think it will be fantastic. We will become a team with a stamp in English football. We have that chance.
“We finished the Premiership with some pride and honour. The last game we lost in the league was in January. So we fought for four months without losing another game in many difficult circumstances.
“But for winners the feeling is not good because we don’t win. I am happy we are not happy. It shows our nature.”
Mourinho and his two children led the players on a lap of honour after the game and Mourinho insisted he would still be in charge when they try to beat Liverpool’s record in their first home game of next season.
When asked that if he thought he would leading the club into the next campaign, he replied: “Yes. I was just saying thank you to the fans for everything.
“I was saying thank you for two fantastic seasons with some historical things and the third season, not the same in terms of results, but in terms of giving everything and working to the maximum of my ability to help my team and club to win things, I think we did a good job.
“I did everything I could and gave everything. But I am not happy we didn’t win the Premiership. But I didn’t lose motivation. I did the best I could.
“I don’t feel happy - and I am happy that I am not happy. Next season we will try again to win the Premiership but we know how difficult it is.”
