New Cole deal should be no Hassel

Posted Wednesday, December 19, 2012 by The Sun

New Cole deal should be no Hassel
IN LIMBO ... Frank Lampard does not appear to know what the future holds

Having failed to win the Club World Cup on Sunday, the Blues head to Elland Road tonight knowing the odds are stacked against them to book a place in the Capital One Cup semi-finals.

A trip to old rivals Leeds is never easy at the best of times, but the long journey home from Japan and the disappointment of losing to Corinthians will present Benitez’s men with an even tougher challenge.

Hasselbaink, 40, is fully aware of what lies in wait for the Blues having enjoyed a two-year spell at Leeds before joining Atletico Madrid.

And he fears the absence of the suspended Gary Cahill and injured skipper John Terry will hit Chelsea hard.

The Dutchman said: “Normally I would have said Chelsea will win, but I honestly don’t know now.

“Considering everything that is going on with them coming back from Japan and having little time to prepare, important players injured or suspended, it can go either way.

“Due to the rivalry between the clubs, the atmosphere will be absolutely amazing. The Leeds fans will be singing the whole game through and the longer that Chelsea don’t score, the louder it will become.

“Everybody expects Chelsea to win but it’s not going to be that simple as lots of little factors are working against them.

“They might be tired and certain players could be jet-lagged. More importantly, some of them might not know about the rivalry between the two clubs and the atmosphere they will face.

“If you’re Chelsea, you would want all of your English players on the pitch because they already know how it will be.

“I’m not sure if a David Luiz or an Oscar will understand the atmosphere, the stadium or the history of the two clubs. It will be a harder game for Chelsea than people think.”

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