Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will not be fit to face Atletico Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg despite returning to training, manager Jose Mourinho said on Tuesday.
“Obviously his condition doesn’t allow him to play, but the message from the group was exactly that: everybody is ready and everybody wants to play,” Mourinho told a press conference at Stamford Bridge.
“But of course his condition doesn’t given him a chance.”
Mourinho ruled Cech out for the rest of the season after he dislocated his shoulder in the early stages of last week’s away leg, which finished 0-0.
The Czech made an unexpected appearance at training on Tuesday, but it appears likely that 41-year-old Australian veteran Mark Schwarzer will continue to deputise against Spanish league leaders Atletico.
Mourinho also revealed that John Terry and Eden Hazard are in line to feature after both took part in training on Tuesday following spells on the sidelines.
Captain and centre-back Terry had to go off in the first leg after injuring his ankle and missed Sunday’s 2-0 win at Liverpool in the Premier League.
Asked if the former England captain, who appeared alongside him at Tuesday’s media conference, would start against Atletico, Mourinho replied: “Of course.”
Terry added: “I’m fully fit. I’ve trained now for three days and I feel OK.”
On Hazard, who has not played since injuring his calf in the second leg of Chelsea‘s quarter-final win over Paris Saint-Germain, Mourinho said: “He’s ready. It’s my option to start him or not to start him, but he’s ready.”
In further good news for Chelsea, striker Samuel Eto’o also took part in training on Tuesday after sitting out the last two matches with a knee complaint.
