UEFA Champions League Group G/ Chelsea v Sparta Prague: Chelsea's final Champions League Group G fixture against Besiktas will be played at a neutral venue, after UEFA decided yesterday that the terrorist threat was too great to stage the match in Turkey.
Almost 60 people have died as a result of the terrorist attacks in Istanbul over the past 11 days and UEFA have chosen to relocate the match, though its date and venue have yet to be determined.
The European governing body's statement read: "UEFA's emergency panel has decided, in light of the current security situation, to switch European club games due to be played in Turkey over the next two weeks to neutral venues outside of the country.
"The panel felt that it was in the overall interests of clubs, players, fans and European football in general to move these ties at this time."
The news will come as a relief to Chelsea, who two seasons ago were accused of arrogance after some of the squad refused to travel to Israel - a decision which contributed to their UEFA Cup exit to Hapoel Tel Aviv.
And it will lift some of the pressure from their match against Sparta Prague tonight; in playing Besiktas outside Turkey there should be no similar withdrawals from a game that is likely to determine who finishes top of the group.
Even so, the arrival in the summer of £111 million worth of talent has minimised the risk to Chelsea in fielding a reserve team, and the captain, Marcel Desailly, accepts that everyone must suffer a spell on the sidelines.
"You know the rules for the season here," he said. "You might be involved for this game and not in this, but it's the rules. If you have pretensions to play in a team like Chelsea then you have to adapt yourself to those rules and the choices the manager makes. Success makes it worthwhile and makes everyone positive."
Desailly was playing down a Sunday newspaper report of a rift with his manager Claudio Ranieri, though he has every right to feel jealous about his jersey. Having won every major honour in the game, with World Cup and European Championship medals to add to two others that mark European Cup success at two clubs, he had come to expect his name to be the first on the teamsheet.
Now, though, after being absent through injury from his side's last Champions League game - a stunning, 4-0 win over Lazio in Rome - and the clean-sheet victories over Newcastle and Southampton, he has a fight on his hands to regain his place in the team.
Ranieri's assessment is that his players are man enough to accept being marginalised, but he talks of "keeping the players' feet on the ground".
The impression is that, for all their professionalism, his biggest task is to eradicate the complacency that once afflicted Chelsea's path to success.
Though his side beat Sparta 1-0 in Prague in only their seventh outing as New Chelsea, the Italian picks up his usual refrain in talking of tonight's opposition as if they were the bookmakers' favourites.
He will not dwell on the results that have brought 32 Premiership points from a possible 39 and three Champions League wins from four.
"I forget very quickly. I want to look forward and I don't remember what happened last Saturday; I want to see what is in front of me," said Ranieri. "Of course we have showed good performances and good football, but it's finished."
Changes are expected at the back for Chelsea, with France captain Desailly training again after a six-week absence with a hip injury, while Dutchman Mario Melchiot, unlikely scorer of Saturday's winner against Southampton, may come in for suspended Glen Johnson.
Fit midfielders are in short supply, with Frenchman Emmanuel Petit (knee) and Argentine Juan Sebastian Veron (back) both out and France's Claude Makelele (neck) facing a late fitness test.
Cameroon's Geremi returns after being left out of the squad for the Southampton game.
Up front, Argentine Hernan Crespo is likely to partner Romanian Adrian Mutu, a sub on Saturday.
For Sparta, stopper Petr Johana is missing through suspension, putting the team's shaky defence further in jeopardy after the Czech champions suffered a humiliating, 4-2 defeat to mid-table Jablonec on Saturday. Jiri Homola is expected to deputise in his European debut.
Experienced midfielder Jiri Nemec is not travelling to London due to a knee injury, while striker Igor Gluscevic faces a late fitness test after a recent sore throat.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
CHELSEA: Cudicini; Melchiot, Terry, Desailly, Bridge, Makelele, Lampard, Duff, Cole, Mutu, Crespo.
SPARTA PRAGUE: Blazek; Pergl, Huebschman, Homola, Labant; Poborsky, Kovac, Zelenka, Zboncak; Kincl, Jun.
Referee: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark)
Guardian Service
