When Roman Abramovich stepped off Chelsea's team bus before training yesterday, it was tempting to think he either fancied himself as a replacement for Adrian Mutu or was showing his excitement at this evening's match. With Chelsea in his home city and taking on a club he has links with in CSKA Moscow, the oil magnate could have been forgiven for wanting to enjoy the ride writes Jon Brodkin in Moscow.

Abramovich certainly appears to be relishing the build-up. He was seen mingling in a hotel on Sunday with visitors including Bobby Robson. If it was no surprise that he did not join several Chelsea players and coaches on a visit to Red Square yesterday, when John Terry braved the cold in shorts and flip-flops, he was happy to go with them to training.

Jose Mourinho said that was nothing unusual but the manager's insistence that this was just another game for Abramovich was hard to believe.

The Russian is on home soil and attends not just as Chelsea's owner, but the majority shareholder in Sibneft, the oil company which sponsors CSKA. He is also a close friend of the CSKA president, Evgeny Giner, and has been to at least one of the club's home games this season.

Local conspiracy theories that Abramovich will ask Chelsea to lose to help CSKA into the next round seem ridiculous. Mourinho stressed that he and his players are determined to win, even though they need only a point to guarantee progress. No one should think Abramovich was on the bus to get a message across.

Mourinho, in playing down the owner's trip to training, offered an insight into Abramovich's involvement with the squad.

"What I can feel from Mr Abramovich since the beginning of the season is that he's very committed with us," the manager said. "He's not just the owner, not just the boss, he also wants to win like the pros (professionals). We are the pros that the club pays to win and he also wants to win, so he's with us every time.

"I think every single match since the beginning (of the season) he's been involved, and many times in training and other times in our meetings because he feels part of the group and also the group feels he's part of us. We are always very comfortable when he is with us and I think he feels the same among the pros."

Sounding the consummate professional, Mourinho said that, despite Abramovich's links, this fixture is no different from any other. To add to the Russian theme, Alexei Smertin is expected to start for Chelsea. The teams met last month, when Chelsea won 2-0, a third straight win in the competition.

"It's just one more match for us but, when you win a lot of times, winning becomes a culture and we want that culture in the club. We don't want to win once a month, we want to win as many games as we can", Mourinho said. "We have nine points and want to win the group and we want to try to win every match."

Mourinho won plenty of matches in his previous job as head coach at Porto, culminating in the club lifting their domestic title and the European Cup last season. The 41-year-old would love to repeat the feat with Chelsea but does not see that as realistic in the Premiership.

"I think it's harder," he said. "In two seasons at Porto we won the championship and the UEFA Cup and then the championship and the Champions League. But I think it was quite easy to win the championship.

"The signal in the Premier League at the moment is that it's going to be a big fight."

CSKA MOSCOW (probable, 3-1-4-2): Akinfeev; Semberas, Ignashevich, Berezutskiy; Rahimic; Gusev, Jarosik, Aldonin, Zhirkov; Vagner, Olic.

CHELSEA (probable, 4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Gallas; Smertin, Makelele, Lampard; Robben, Gudjohnsen, Duff.

Referee: M De Santis (Italy).