Chelsea v Apoel Nicosia:CARLO ANCELOTTI has offered a public show of support for his goalkeeper, Petr Cech, following his costly error at Manchester City on Saturday and suggested Chelsea's defeat at Eastlands was actually caused more by his midfielders' inability to impose themselves on the contest.

The Premier League leaders had their advantage at the top cut to two points after the 2-1 defeat, with Cech at fault for the hosts’ winner, a Carlos Tevez free-kick early in the second half.

The Czech international will be rested for this evening’s final Champions League group game against Apoel Nicosia, a decision that was apparently taken before the weekend with Chelsea’s progress as section winners assured and the 27-year-old suffering from a slight niggle in his knee. Ross Turnbull is set to be given a first competitive start.

Cech, who did not train yesterday, will return for Saturday’s visit of Everton to Stamford Bridge having been left frustrated by his display in Manchester. The experienced goalkeeper had come in for some criticism during Chelsea’s two previous defeats under Ancelotti – Wigan and Aston Villa exploited set-pieces to score against them – as well as for Stoke’s goal in a 2-1 victory at the Britannia Stadium.

But, while the manager admitted his number one “could have done better” for Tevez’s free-kick, which was conceded in the corner unprotected by the defensive wall, he pinpointed his midfield quartet’s uncharacteristic failure to stamp their authority on the game as pivotal to the defeat.

“Petr Cech is the best goalkeeper in England,” Ancelotti said. “He has fantastic experience and knows very well when he has made a mistake. He could have done better, if you ask me, at the free-kick. The goalkeeper has to stay on his post and, if the player puts the ball over the wall and in, we have to congratulate him. The wall was good, we had four players in there. But even a good goalkeeper can make a mistake sometimes.

“Petr has done very well for us this season. Never have I worked with a goalkeeper who comes out as much as he does, takes a risk to go for the ball and I like that in him. No, the problem at City was that we could have done better in that game as a team.

“City put strong pressure on our midfield after we scored, and we were not able to play through them from the back. Their tactics, with a high defensive line, were a surprise for us. There was nothing else. We have to work, to improve, and when an opponent puts pressure on our midfield we have to react and improve our play. Improve our support play, too, so we can open them up with the ball and use our offensive players. We had difficulty getting any service through to Anelka and Drogba in the first half.”

Chelsea’s domestic league priorities will be clear this evening, despite Apoel still competing with Atletico Madrid to secure third place in the group and entry into the Europa League, with a number of first-team regulars to be rested. John Terry trained yesterday despite suffering a gash above his knee on Saturday, but could yet be given a rest along with Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack and Drogba.

Gael Kakuta, one of five youngsters included in Ancelotti’s squad, may make his first start for the club in an advanced role on the left, with Daniel Philliskirk and Nikki Ahmed also in the squad.

The Champions League will offer a distraction but Ancelotti insisted he is not perturbed by the sight of Manchester United cutting Chelsea’s lead. “Up to now, we have done better than United,” he said. “We have two more points than them, and we won our game against them. I don’t know what will happen in the future but, up to now, we have to consider what we’ve done. And we’ve done better than them.”

• Guardian Service