Jose Mourinho insisted Chelsea’s quest for success will not be spoiled by mounting injury worries after their hopes of an historic quadruple were ended in a 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Newcastle United on Sunday.
Chelsea were dumped out of the FA Cup after Dutch international Patrick Kluivert’s fourth-minute winner propelled Graeme Souness’s side into the sixth round.
Mourinho will be without Wayne Bridge for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Barcelona after he suffered a suspected broken ankle. He also has other injury worries.
Both Damien Duff and William Gallas are major doubts for the key Nou Camp date after limping off at the end of only the London club’s third defeat of the season, their first in four months to an English side.
Mourinho was happy to take the blame for the rare loss after his decision to rest £100-million of talent backfired.
His error was compounded after he introduced regular first-teamers Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard and Duff at the interval, only for Bridge to suffer his unfortunate break early in the second half, following an innocuous challenge with Alan Shearer, to leave Chelsea to play the last 40 minutes a player light.
The visitors ended the game with nine men following the injury-time dismissal of Carlo Cudicini for a professional foul on substitute Shola Ameobi, which sees the Italian goalkeeper suspended for Sunday’s Carling Cup final against Liverpool.
Mateja Kezman came closest for the Premiership leaders, hitting the crossbar with a close-range first-half effort, and Chelsea’s Portuguese manager said: ”I’m responsible for the defeat. I’m the manager and I make decisions, so the defeat is down to me, I’m guilty.
”Throwing on three players at half-time is a big risk but I don’t regret that, life is full of taking risks and I’d do the same again.
”I felt it was the best thing for my team and I think we showed we were the better side when the three came on.”
Even a squad as deep as Chelsea’s is being stretched by a series of injuries, and Mourinho added: ”Wayne has no chance for Wednesday, and with Duff and Gallas we will have to wait and see. I’m not going to cry or make excuses over injuries, there’s no use crying about it.
”I never like to complain about injuries, so when I get on the plane for Spain tonight I’ll think about the team I’ll pick for Barcelona.”
The fifth-round tie was played in blizzard conditions, and only went ahead after a morning pitch inspection following a Herculean effort from ground staff to clear the playing surface of overnight snow.
Their efforts were particularly appreciated by John Terry, who would have served his one-match suspension against Liverpool in Cardiff had the game not gone ahead.
Newcastle repaid the sterling efforts of their army of snow-shifters by taking the lead with their first serious attack as Kluivert’s precise header exploited Chelsea’s aerial weakness caused by Terry’s absence, as the hosts maintained their bid to win the competition for the first time in 50 years.
Souness saw his side claim a rare clean sheet, and he said: ”Victories like that give you a huge confidence boost. We scored early and were good value for the victory.” — Sapa-AFP