• Premier League

Luiz and Cahill's Bayern fitness race goes to the wire

ESPN staff
May 11, 2012
Chelsea will give David Luiz every chance to prove his fitness © Getty Images
Enlarge

Chelsea will be without both Gary Cahill and David Luiz for their final Premier League game of the season, although manager Roberto Di Matteo remains hopeful they will be fit in time for the Champions League final.

With John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic both suspended for the showpiece European final next Saturday, the Blues are short of central defensive options without Cahill and Luiz to call upon.

Di Matteo confirmed on Friday that neither player is fit enough to play this Sunday - as they end their domestic campaign against Blackburn - although he remains hopeful they will recover in time for the game at the Allianz Arena.

"David Luiz and Gary Cahill won't be available this Saturday," Di Matteo said. "We are obviously working our hardest towards next Saturday. We hope to have the whole group training next week."

Asked whether he has concerns about throwing them straight back into a big game, he added: "They have been out three or four weeks, it's not three or four months - at the end of the day with the suspensions we have to push them as hard as we can to be ready.

"We obviously tried to get them back as soon as possible, but they weren't ready. So now we try for the next game.

"They are at similar stages. In the last couple of days [before the final] we will see what kind of level they have reached."

Di Matteo has fewer concerns over Petr Cech and Didier Drogba - who both missed the midweek league defeat to Liverpool at Anfield - but hinted that they will not be involved this weekend to save them for the final.

"They are okay, but we will have to see for Sunday," he said. "I will have to think about it."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices