Chelsea fly to Israel this morning without six first-team players who have pulled out of the UEFA Cup clash fearing for their safety.
Captain Marcel Desailly, Emmanuel Petit, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Graeme Le Saux, William Gallas, and Albert Ferrer have all taken up the option of missing the trip to face Hapoel Tel Aviv in the second round tie.
Colin Hutchinson, Chelsea's managing director, said: "We gave the players the choice and the end of the day we respect the decision they have taken.
"We have not forced any player to go and we are now looking forward to the match.
"UEFA insisted that the game must go ahead and wrote to us as recently as Saturday with their instructions.
"We understand the concern of the players but we have an obligation that if we want to continue in this competition we have to play this match.
"We are not disappointed at the choice made by these individual players and no disciplinary action will be taken against them.
Hutchinson said it would have set a bad precedent had Chelsea pulled out of this trip.