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“It is too dangerous to think about Jimmy now,” he told the assembled media at the training ground.
“It is better for him to recover more and I think in the next week he can train with us. But at the moment no and I don’t want to risk too much. And also I have Carlton Cole who played well last match so Jimmy can have time to recover.
“Eidur tried training for the first time yesterday and trained today. Zenden will be available for the next match, De Goey I’m not sure.”
With “young lion” Carlton Cole making such an impression against Gillingham in mid-week, talk inevitably turned to Chelsea’s “bright young star”.
As ever, Claudio’s passion, pride and belief in HIS players was there for all to see and hear. He said, “Never have I coached a player like him at the same age. He’s fantastic. In my opinion he has a very big future but now it is important he stays calm and works hard to improve. He has the right mentality.”
When asked if Carlton was ahead of Eidur to replace Jimmy tomorrow, the Chelsea coach explained just how important the hours immediately prior to the game will be to his team selection and how he can detect during that period if the attitude is right.
“Always I pick my players on the day of the match,” he said. “The results of Gudjohnsen’s fitness test will be available and then I’ll think about it. Also Carlton doesn’t have a good fitness because he was injured and has trained only a few times.
“I always like to look at my players on the day of the game. I hope tomorrow my players show me and also show the fans the right attitude because they are against a team that runs and fights for 90 minutes.
“In the dressing beforehand, if everybody talks too much, it is not a good atmosphere. If that is the case, I know before what will happen on the pitch. If they are concentrated, they don’t speak too much.”
I hate to be over optimistic but I really feel that there is a new feeling to this Chelsea side. I sense a consistency and belief that has long been grasped at but never quite attained.
This belief and confidence is also tinted with an excitement that emanates from players such as Franco and now Cole. An excitement, eagerness and hope that we all share.
We should be approaching tomorrows game with a professional confidence and resilient determination that has been displayed on a number of occasions this season. You only have to look back at Wednesday evenings performance to see just how far we have come. We were solid, subtle, professional and dogged. All traits that so frustrated and infuriated Spurs just a few days before.
Let’s carry on, get the job done and consolidate on that healthy position in the table.
The full Chelsea squad for tomorrow is:
Cudicini, Pidgeley, Melchiot, Gallas, Terry, Desailly, Babayaro, Le Saux, De Lucas, Gronkjaer, Morris, Lampard, Oliveira, Zola, Gudjohnsen, Cole.
An afterthought:- Could I get any more teaser pictures of Carlton Cole before the end of the week? I sincerely hope so!