John Terry injury means Chelsea will continue with Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic in defence
Terry should be available against Southampton next weekend
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Chelsea will still be without John Terry when they host Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. The Chelsea captain, who missed Tuesday night’s Champions League game in Paris with a hamstring injury, has not recovered, meaning Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill are set to continue at centre-back.
Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink confirmed the news about Terry at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. “He will not be fit for this weekend,” Hiddink said. “I just saw him, he worked with the physios yesterday and he was trying a bit on the pitch. But still too many problems to be fit for the weekend.” Chelsea travel to Southampton in the Premier League next Saturday and Hiddink hopes that his captain is back for that game, or soon after.
“I hope next weekend he will be available,” Hiddink said. “I cannot predict it, but we have to be a bit cautious with him as well, because he likes to be there everyday, but we must be careful. Maybe next weekend, he tried yesterday. Of course it is a disappointment because he is the leader of this club and team, but I am not going to complain and moan. The guys who are putting their effort in, in his place, have full confidence. In Paris they had a decent performance.”
Hiddink hopes for an improved performance from Eden Hazard on Sunday after the Belgian winger had another difficult evening in Paris. “He was in a difficult situation but needs to step up,” Hiddink said. “He knows that and we have our talks with him. Everyone and then a small conversation how to step up to the next level and that is his wish. I hope that he will as soon as possible. I remember once he had a sprint on our right hand side and that is the old hazard and we hope to see that more frequently.”
Hazard has struggled to replicate his form from last season, when he won footballer of the year, but Hiddink still has faith in him. “He is showing once but he can show more,” he said. “He is aware of that and now it is up to him to step up.”
On loan striker Alexandre Pato is still not fit enough to play, Hiddink confirmed.
“He has done two or three weeks of pre-season, and we will see this afternoon what will happen," He is getting fitter and fitter, and we will see what the results are of these tests we did today, when he will come in.”
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