Basel vs Chelsea April 25, 2013
Chelsea have Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill available. Cole has not featured since limping off during the April 1 FA Cup quarter-final replay win over Manchester United, while Cahill underwent minor knee surgery on March 30 after suffering the injury against West Ham prior to the international break. Brazil forward Oscar also travelled despite coming off during Sunday's 2-2 draw at Liverpool with a groin problem. Long-term injury victim Oriol Romeu (knee) is the only definite absentee.
Basel striker Alex Frei has retired since the victory over Tottenham to become sporting director at Swiss club Lucerne. Former Liverpool right-back Philipp Degen is a doubt with a muscular problem, with nominal centre-half Arlind Ajeti ready to step in.
Rafa Benitez’s side travel to Switzerland to take on an FC Basel side that has already disposed of Tottenham in the Europa League knockout stages.
Preview
Chelsea will attempt to succeed where Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both failed when they tackle Swiss side FC Basel in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.
Winners of last season’s Champions League, Chelsea have had to make a priority of Europe’s second-tier cup competition this term as opportunities for winning silverware have fizzled out around them.
They are just two matches from the final in Amsterdam on May 15, but in Basel they face a team who sensationally knocked United out of last season’s Champions League and put paid to Spurs in the last round of the Europa League.
The current Swiss Super League leaders have also gone six home games without defeat in this season’s competition.
Complicating matters further is the fact that Chelsea’s main priority is the battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Having become the first defending champions not to progress beyond the group phase of the following campaign’s competition, failure to qualify for next season’s tournament would complete a startling fall from grace.
The quest for a Champions League place was compromised on Sunday by a 2-2 draw at Liverpool that left the London club in the fourth and final qualifying berth.
