Friday 27 February 2015 14:28, UK
The stats show Nemanja Matic's likely Capital One Cup final absence is a big blow for Chelsea, writes Matthew Stanger...
The unfortunate circumstances surrounding Nemanja Matic's red card against Burnley have been discussed in detail, but Chelsea must now face the reality of playing Sunday's Capital One Cup final without him.
The form guide suggests Matic's absence could be a telling factor. Having remained unbeaten in their opening 21 matches this season, Chelsea lost 2-1 to Newcastle in their first fixture when Matic was missing. Jose Mourinho was forced to partner John Obi Mikel with Cesc Fabregas in central midfield at St James' Park and Chelsea succumbed to Papiss Cisse's brace.
That Matic has played in all but three of Chelsea's fixtures this term emphasises Mourinho's reliance on the man he calls his "giant".
"Please give him what (credit) he deserves," said Mourinho in November. "He was signed in the most difficult market for players (January) so the second half of last season was a space of improvement and adaptation for him. At this moment, he’s a giant. Not for his size but for the way he plays. The man is a giant."
Despite those comments, Mourinho had said it would be "no problem" to replace the Serbian for the trip to Newcastle. But on two of the three occasions he has been absent, the Blues have suffered defeat. Would the ignominy of the FA Cup loss to Bradford would likely have been avoided with Matic's involvement?
Although the 26-year-old was relatively disappointing in December's 5-3 defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane, it is clear that Chelsea are a much stronger outfit when he is available. The balance the Matic-Fabregas axis affords in the middle of the pitch has been crucial to the team's success, with the Blues losing just one of the 32 matches in which both have played.
While Fabregas has proven his quality as Chelsea's creative hub, Matic is the enforcer who would have been tasked to stop Christian Eriksen on Sunday and shadow Harry Kane when the striker drops deep to receive the ball. Only Lucas Leiva has averaged more tackles per game in the Premier League, underlining Matic's imposing presence.
However, Mourinho must now look to Ramires or possibly youngster Nathan Ake to deputise at Wembley as he pursues his first silverware since returning to Chelsea. He would no doubt be much more confident of success with Matic anchoring the midfield, with this test of the Blues' depth potentially revealing much about their ability to last the pace in the Premier League and Europe.
Watch Chelsea v Spurs in the Capital One Cup final live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 2.30pm on Sunday
