Sandwiched between the push for the Premiership title, the Graeme Le Saux row and the small matter of Sunday's FA Cup visit to Manchester United, Chelsea pause to renew acquaintance with Europe tonight. The Cup Winners' Cup holders restart their defence of the title in a quarter-final tie against the Norwegian club Valerenga, a relatively unknown club of the sort that tends to populate the later stages of this tournament and is a major reason for this being its final year of existence.

But in Valerenga's case Chelsea know that "relatively unknown" does not mean relatively easy. For the club's coach is none other than Egil Olsen, who transformed Norway from international cannon-fodder into a team which not only embarrassed Graham Taylor's England but beat Brazil in the last World Cup.

The smoothness of Stamford Bridge's re-laid turf will be of little interest to a Valerenga side who like to hump the ball high and long and will aim to give the Chelsea defence headaches figurative and real. "Almost all their players are as big as me," says Chelsea's 6 ft 4 in Norwegian Tore Andre Flo.

What is not a tall tale is that Valerenga's managing director is a Chelsea fan since his student days in London in 1975; he even has the club's crest tattooed on his arm. Anders Krystad, a shaven-headed 42-year-old with a row of rings in each ear, might have as much difficulty getting past the directors'-box stewards as the Chelsea team will in breaking down Valerenga's 4-5-1 formation.

But Gianluca Vialli's team are used to sides arriving at the Bridge to shut up shop, and despite the absence of their in-form winger Bjarne Goldbaek they can now call on Flo, back last weekend after injury, and Dennis Wise.

If a Valerenga team made up largely of part-timers are to nick an away goal, its likely source will be the 6ft 6in striker John Carew, only 19 but already a full international and valued at £5 million. It was he who scored the third goal against John Toshack's Besiktas in the last round. Valerenga came back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 on aggregate. Chelsea have been warned.