English Premier League: We’re in much better position, says Di Matteo

Terry injury raises concerns after Chelsea draw against Liverpool.

LONDON: Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo was left fearing the worst after John Terry sustained a knee injury during the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Terry had opened the scoring but was carried off on a stretcher following an accidental collision with Luis Suarez, who scored the equaliser in the second half.

“We have to wait until his MRI scan to understand the full extent,” said Di Matteo. “There’s concern. We just got him back into the team after the ban. It was great seeing him out there. We hope it’s not a serious injury, but we’ll see. When a player reacts like that, it’s a concern. He’s in pain now.”

Chelsea had chances to seal the game but Brad Jones denied Fernando Torres and Mata was guilty of wasting opportunities either side of half-time. They have now failed to win in their last three Premier League games, having seen previous title attempts falter at this stage of the season before.

“But, we’re in much better shape than in previous years, in a much better position, and very close to our best.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers believes his team need investment in players to compete at the top of the Premier League.

“We need one or two more players,” said Rodgers. “That’s our sixth draw. And a lot of those games we’ve come back into after going behind. We’re normally dominating games with the ball. But we need materials. If we can get one or two (new players) in January, we’ll turn draws into wins.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2012.