Carvalho to miss Liverpool crunch match

28 April 2007 17:37

Chelsea´s Ricardo Carvalho(L) intercepts a pass heading for Charlton´s Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink(R) during the Premiership football match at Stamford Bridge in London, 2006. Carvalho has been ruled out of Chelsea´s Champions League semi-final second leg against Liverpool after suffering a knee injury in his side´s 2-2 draw with Bolton.

LONDON (AFP) - Ricardo Carvalho has been ruled out of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final second leg against Liverpool after suffering a knee injury in his side's 2-2 draw with Bolton on Saturday.

The Portuguese defender hobbled off in the 30th minute after sustaining the injury in a midfield collision and has been ruled out of the crunch encounter at Anfield on Tuesday.

Jose Mourinho, Chelsea's manager, also suggested that the problem could rule out his centre-half for the rest of the season, news which will severely dent the club's ambitions both at home and in Europe.

"It looks very bad," he said.

"How big a blow is it? He has been our best defender for the whole season, it's as simple as that. We lost in Liverpool in the Premiership without him and now we must go there without him again.

"In that moment, we had to play with Paolo Ferreira at centre-back but at least now we have better options in that area."