Guus Hiddink speaks ahead of the Stoke Clash, Worried of over-using Diego Costa
Mar 5, 2016 at 3:14 AM
Guus Hiddink answered media question earlier today and revealed that John Terry and Pedro are not fit to take on Stoke and he will not risk them considering the crucial Champions League tie coming up.
‘He’s not fit to start this weekend,’ responded Hiddink. ‘He’s with the physios and he’s also training but he’s not with the group yet. We’ll see how it goes for Wednesday.
‘Pedro is the same. He hasn’t practised with the group yet. He is getting treatment but also running and exercising on the pitch.’
Hiddink cited that a good game against Stoke would give the Blues a solid platform to build on and and get the necessary result vs PSG.
Hiddink said: ‘Of course we have the upcoming two games on our mind but – and it’s a big but – we take all Premier League games very seriously and we will have the same approach tomorrow.
‘We will not allow us to make this a pre-game for Wednesday. This is not good for the team. We must stay in the dynamic of the last weeks.
‘If you put your focus too far away, even if it’s just four or seven days, it’s not good.’
Hiddink also discussed the possibility of finishing fourth this season.
Chelsea boss said: ‘Others are knocking on the door, like West Ham are doing,’ he pointed out. ‘There are more candidates for fourth position than the teams who have lost recently.
‘Stoke are close as well, so it’s even more necessary that from our side we have a serious approach tomorrow.’
Chelsea boss was wary of over-using Diego Costa and revealed that the club needs to take extra care of their striker.
Hiddink said: ‘He is in perfect physical shape, but we also must be careful not to overload him in games. We monitor them with the data of the medical team and I can make some conclusions from that.
‘We are living in an emotional world but sometimes you have to be rational as well. I talk with him about his physical state, which is superb. There is always a danger of him doing too much, and if I share the figures with him he can be rational as well. We must let him go but sometimes I must put him on a leash.
‘He wants to play every game. It’s difficult to put a brake on him. Tomorrow he will start but maybe he will not play the full game’.
Quotes Credit: ChelseaFC