Chelsea exposed without Carvalho

SOCCER/Uefa Champions League/Liverpool (0) v Chelsea (1):  Chelsea are discovering what it is to live on the brink, with Andriy Shevchenko ruled out of tonight's Champions League semi-final with a groin injury. In each of Jose Mourinho's seasons in charge they have had Premiership titles to protect them from hurt of defeat elsewhere. It looks as if that safety device is gone in this campaign and nothing will protect them from the hurt of failure at Liverpool this evening.

The manager argued otherwise, but his advocacy surely cannot persuade even himself since the anguish would be even more intense than when Liverpool knocked Chelsea out at the same stage in 2005.

There is no pessimism from Mourinho, whose side won the first leg 1-0. "We must scare and score," he said of his intention to seize the initiative.

All the same, there are sensitive issues. Shevchenko was ready to risk playing despite the ongoing groin problem but Mourinho was not prepared to brave the danger of losing him for the rest of the season and the forward has stayed behind in London. The manager could have been tempted to prefer his understudy Salomon Kalou in any event; he was sharper during the 2-2 draw with Bolton Wanderers at the weekend.

The deepest trouble lies in the loss of the centre half Ricardo Carvalho to a knee injury and Chelsea will come under prolonged aerial attack.

Mourinho remarked that a line-up of "Peter Crouch plus 10 players" would be picked by his opposite number, Rafael Benitez. "He has a player who is two metres tall," said the Chelsea manager. "He knows Carvalho is not playing. I think he is intelligent if he plays a direct game to Crouch."

The route one approach is not really part of the Anfield heritage, but the crowd reaction will be intense if Chelsea flinch beneath it. These supporters are indignant about Mourinho's characterisation of Liverpool as habitual also-rans in the Premiership who are therefore fresh for the Champions League. The Portuguese, though, would like to highlight another of his observations.

"They have to be very happy with me," he declared. "I told you that it is impossible to compare Chelsea and Liverpool because Liverpool have a history of success in Europe and Chelsea are not even close. I think I deserve big applause."

Without Carvalho, Chelsea were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in January. Midfielder Michael Essien had to step in at centre-half that day, as he is expected to do tonight, but the parallels are not perfect. John Terry will be beside him this evening rather than a right back, Paulo Ferreira.

"John is more powerful in the air," said Essien in a marked understatement, "and he will defend it."

The Ghanaian will have to win such jousts as well, though, and he recently told French journalists that he had trouble seeing crosses in January as Crouch blocked out the view.

Mourinho does have a recognised centre half, but Khalid Boulahrouz has made just two Premiership appearances in 2007. The Chelsea manager has to relieve the pressure on his back four by other means.

"We will attack," he promised. "We know if we do not concede goals we will be in the final and of course that is an objective, but if we score we have an advantage because we did not concede at home. You cannot defend perfectly for 90 minutes. I think that a very good way to play this game is to scare the opponent."

Mourinho was at pains to minimise the burden of significance that this occasion will place on his players.

"We have won the Carling Cup and we have a very special FA Cup final [ against Manchester United] to play," he observed. "I don't think this is the game of the season."

He then went on to agree that a Champions League final appearance would be historic for a club that has never featured in one.

That is the perspective of the Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who identified the tournament as his priority this year.

Not everyone is convinced Mourinho's position at Stamford Bridge is safe, although the manager claims Abramovich should be satisfied whatever the outcome.

Guardian Services