Chelsea FC midfielder John Obi Mikel has shrugged off his recent injury setback and is firmly in the frame for the Blues’ Uefa Champions League second leg, quarterfinal game against Paris St Germain.
Mikel missed Saturday’s game against the Potters with an injury but has now shaken off the knock in time for the visit of Les Parisiens.
The midfielder trained with the rest of his Chelsea teammates at Cobham on Monday.
Mikel has lost his place in the Chelsea first team in recent weeks largely due to the presence of Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic, who joined the club in January from Portuguese side Benfica.
Matic is Cup-tied having represented Benfica in the Champions League earlier this season and with Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder Ramires suspended for Tuesday’s game, Mikel is highly favoured to get a look in from manager Jose Mourinho.
Chelsea lost the first leg 3-1 at the Parc des Pinces last week but will progress to the semifinals with a 2-0 win on Tuesday, a feat Mourinho believes can be achieved.
Addressing the media on Monday, the Portuguese trainer stated that he was confident his side will progress to the last four.
“I believe, and my players believe, that is the most important thing.
“If PSG tomorrow is knocked out it is a big disappointment for them. If we are knocked out, it is something a lot of people expect,” he quipped.
Chelsea’s cause could be helped by the absence of PSG’s Swedish talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic. who misses Tuesday’s game after suffering a hamstring injury in the first leg.
In the Swede’s absence, PSG manager Laurent Blanc will be looking towards the direction of Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani.
Cavani has the trust of his manager who was effusive in his assessment of the South American during his press conference on Monday.
“Cavani is not just a goalscorer. He hangs in the penalty area, that’s why he’s useful. He defends, he fights, he harasses opponents, so that’s great for us,” Blanc said.
Source: Supersport
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