Rafael Benitez has expressed concern to Chelsea’s hierarchy that the European champions’ first-team squad is critically thin on numbers and has been rendered even more fragile by a crowded fixture schedule which is damaging the players’ fitness.
The interim first-team manager outlined his initial impressions, after a week in the job, during a board meeting attended by Roman Abramovich and sporting director Michael Emenalo, on Thursday. A second successive goalless draw, against Fulham the night before, led to Chelsea slipping seven points behind Manchester United in the Premier League having failed to win any of their past six games. Their strategy in next month’s transfer window was on the agenda in the talks at Stamford Bridge.
Predecessor
Some recruitment is anticipated even though Benitez feels it is too soon for him to make judgments on specific targets. He stressed to the board how stretched the squad appears, with 19 players having been used by his predecessor, Roberto Di Matteo, in the league and key personnel displaying fatigue ahead of the Club World Cup in Japan and the busy Christmas fixture list.
“If you’re not winning and you analyse the players who have played almost every game, there aren’t many players here,” said Benitez. “There were 19 in the league, and now it’s 20 with Marko Marin [who appeared as a substitute against Fulham] . . . They’d played so many games, two or three a week and massive games in the Champions League, that the players were getting tired. You can’t give them a rest either, because there’s no time. I explained what I’d seen, my ideas on things and my explanations.”
Benitez said he would have to rest people for some matches, “like we did with Juan Mata on Wednesday”.
Money will be available next month, though. With Benitez contracted until the summer, Emenalo and the board will direct transfer policy while seeking input from the Spaniard. There is interest in Radamel Falcao at Atletico Madrid but securing the Colombian would require a lavish outlay.
The likes of Taison Freda, a Brazilian midfielder at Metalist Kharkiv who would cost around €11 million, and Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling, who has yet to agree a new contract at Anfield, are on the list together with the Southampton left-back Luke Shaw, who has been earmarked as a long-term replacement for Paris St-Germain-bound Ashley Cole.
“The board were asking me my opinion on what we need,” said Benitez, who takes charge of his first away game at West Ham today. “We spoke about the future but I said it’s too soon for me . . . we also analysed the players out on loan, how they are performing. We spoke about Romelu Lukaku and we know he’s doing well [at West Bromwich Albion], and maybe it’s better for his development to stay there, playing.”
Terry pushing for return
Meanwhile, Benitez admitted John Terry could travel to the Club World Cup before making his comeback. He revealed that club captain Terry was pushing him for a return from the knee injury that has sidelined him for almost three weeks.
But the Spaniard was not prepared to risk the defender in the West Ham game or Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Nordsjaelland.
Asked if Terry could travel without having returned, Benitez replied: “Yeah, it could be.It’s a question of confidence. When you forget you have that problem in your knee is when you are ready.”
Terry has had just 130 minutes of first-team football since the beginning of October due to a combination of his racism ban and injury. But Benitez has been impressed by the 31-year-old’s mentality since his appointment as Chelsea boss.
Benitez admitted Chelsea had missed their captain and vice-captain Frank Lampard. Guardian Service
