Avram Grant spent Friday lunchtime discussing big subjects. On the agenda was Sunday’s huge London derby plus the new man heading for the England job. With September’s match against Man United having come just days after the start of his Chelsea reign, Grant feels his team is now in a far healthier position to take on one of the ‘Big Four’.
‘It was not so easy against United, even if you know what has happened on the pitch,’ he said. ‘We are already better than against United and after three months with a lot of injuries, we have players back. All apart from Drogba, Ballack and Carvalho at the moment are fit for this game.’
Michael Essien is suspended on Sunday but when asked if he has any doubts about fielding Ashley Cole in what would be the defender’s first return to Arsenal since leaving, Grant’s answer was clear.
‘The only hesitation is about quality and Ashley has good quality and if I need him to play, he will play. He is an experienced player and I don’t think the crowd will affect him.’
The match on Sunday will be the first since Grant signed a four-year contract as manager/first team coach. ‘It is brilliant for me to be the manager of Chelsea and if it is for one year, two years or five years, it doesn’t matter. I continue my work.’
He refuses to read too much into Arsenal having dropped five points in their last two games.
‘I think all the big four will lose points against sides not in the big four. Arsenal until now had a very good run so it is also reasonable that some time they stop.
‘They are very good team and even last year they played very good until April and then something happened. I like their football, it is nice to watch and they also win games. I have only good things to say about Arsenal.
‘We were seven points behind Arsenal and now we are three points behind. I don’t think this is a game that will immediately affect the championship but it is a good game to win.
Chelsea’s good recent record against Arsenal is a good pressure on me. Even if the record was not good, we would want to win this game.’
As Fabio Capello finalises the details on a contract to become England manager, the FA’s choice has received Grant’s blessing. He knows the Italian well having attended training sessions at Milan, Roma and Madrid.
The Chelsea boss also believes Capello will agree John Terry is the best man available to lead his country on the football pitch.
‘I am sure that John is the best captain England can have,’ Grant says. ‘You can see what happened when he didn’t play against Croatia and didn’t play against Russia.
‘I am with John every day and I have never seen a captain like this. At half-time he knows how to make everybody together and every player that has a problem, he will help them.
‘He is a great, great captain and you will not find anybody better than him and I don’t think Fabio Capello is stupid, he knows that.’
source : chelseafc.com
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