John Terry faces return to Moscow, despite back pain
Chelsea captain John Terry has said he is ready to serve his injury-plagued team against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday, 19 October.
The game will see Terry return to the Luzhniki Stadium, where his team lost to Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final.
The defender, who missed a penalty during the deciding shootout—the replay of which he said he has yet to watch—said he will not be distracted as he returns to the site of the most disappointing moment
of his career.
"Going back, people are going to bring things up, but we are going back there to pick up three points," Terry said ahead of the clash with Spartak. "It is a tough place to go. Other teams in the past have
found it difficult to go there with the pitch."
Manager Carlo Ancelotti will be without several key players in Moscow. Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Alex, Terry's indispensible partner in defence, have all been ruled out.
Terry himself has been suffering from a back problem, but the captain said that he will fight the pain to start the game.
"At times like this, when we are down to the bare bones, I am fit to play," the defender said, adding that he and the medical staff at the club are in control of the situation.
"Rio [Ferdinand] has had back problems, and when you are fit and then miss a game people think your back has gone again. I am going to pick up knocks, like everyone does, but the main thing is I manage
it myself and have a good relationship with the manager and the medical team."
Ancelotti introduces young players
French prospect Gael Kakuta, who was handed his first league start by Ancelotti against Aston Villa on Saturday, 16 October, and also started Chelsea's last Champions League fixture against Olympique de
Marseille, could feature against the Russian team.
Several other young players, including Jeffrey Bruma and Fabio Borini, are being introduced in light of Chelsea's injury crisis.
"I feel with one or two injuries, we will have to call on the kids. But everyone needs a chance. We lost players last year and the club have been stressing the importance of bringing young players through."
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