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CHELSEA FC: SAME AGAIN FOR READING

/noticias.info/ Assistant manager Steve Clarke says that Chelsea will have the same squad for the visit of Reading on Boxing Day as travelled to Wigan. So there is still no John Terry or Carlo Cudicini.

He is clear about what the management wants. 'We need to play like we did in the first 30 minutes against Wigan, and then not switch off,' he said after training to the Chelsea Website on Christmas Eve.

'Obviously there'll be squad rotation. But there's no special trouble in terms of focus and concentration at the moment because the focus is on getting three points and we have been doing that.

'However, it's not ideal going from 2-0 to having to score in the last three minutes even if that does say a lot about determination and character.'

He believes that the focus will have to be at its best on Boxing Day. 'Reading are an organised, hard working team, and that makes them very difficult to get a result against. We'll need to be on top concentration.

'We've got a normal footballer's Christmas. The early kick-off on Boxing Day means we are taking the players into a hotel on Christmas night to make sure they rest properly.

'Rest between games at Christmas is so important. We need to rest and use the squad fully.'

Frank Lampard echoed the need for focus. 'It's going to be a tough game. People will look at it and expect Chelsea to win but Reading have been very impressive to me. They'll come and have a go. By no means can we go into it relaxed.

'It is the same as any game over Christmas, this period is so important. We have to be fully focused and make sure we can beat a team like Reading that will come and give it their all.'

And he dismissed that the players would be thinking about the game at Reading and the incidents which led to injuries to Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini.

'I haven't even thought about that. That is an issue that goes on more in the press than with the players. We are not thinking about certain individuals, we are thinking about winning the game.'

Cech has gone home for Christmas and will not be back in time to attend the game. notas_de_prensa_archivo