Chelsea FC captain John Terry will make his 650th start when the Blues take on League One side Walsall in the third round of the Capital One Cup on Wednesday
Blues manager Jos Mourinho was generous enough to reveal two names from his starting line-up to take on Walsall — captain John Terry and Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, who will make his first competitive start for the Blues.
Meanwhile, Spain international Diego Costa will begin serving his three-match suspension for an incident involving Arsenal FC centre-back Laurent Koscielny in the London derby at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
John Terry and Radamel Falcao to start against Chelsea FC
The Chelsea FC skipper is set to make a remarkable 650th start for the Blues in the centre of defence, while former FC Porto striker Radamel Falcao is set to begin his first competitive fixture for Jos Mourinho’s side since his arrival.
Speaking ahead of the game to the Chelsea FC website, Mourinho revealed: “Of course Johna s experience will help. He didna t play the last match so he is completely fresh and completely motivated to play, the same as Falcao for example.
“Chelsea is Chelsea, and wearing the Chelsea shirt always brings responsibility. Every player is more than happy to play.”
Mourinho hints at big names getting a start
The Portuguese was reticent to comment on team news other than Terry and Falcao, but indicated that he will not play a completely second-string side on Wednesday out of respect for Dean Smith’s Walsall side.
Mourinho is quoted by the club’s website as saying: “A cup is a cup. A trophy is a trophy. If you lose, you lose but you dona t need to throw it away.
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“So yes, we look to the competition in a proper way, and I also think ita s very important to respect opponents. I dona t think opponents from the Championship, League One or League Two expect the big clubs to go and play against them without the best players.
“They want a big day for themselves. Imagine if we go to Walsall without any one of our most important players – even if they won I dona t think the feeling would be the same. For Walsall players and Walsall supporters ita s important the big teams show that respect and that commitment.”
The comments seem to indicate that the likes of Eden Hazard could well start, particularly given the fitness issues Mourinho has in his attacking midfield department. Youngsters Kenedy and Bertrand Traor are likely to see minutes on the pitch, but it would be a surprise if both of them started the game.