Chelsea began turning their attention to plugging a hole in their midfield ranks today after Oriol Romeu was all but ruled out for the rest of the season.

Florent Malouda has been left out of Chelsea’s squad for the Champions League group stage, casting further doubt over his future.

Zenit St Petersburg last night completed the sensational capture of Brazilian forward Hulk from FC Porto on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee believed to be €50 million.

Fenerbahce today announced they were in talks to sign Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles.

Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0

Portugal 0 Spain 0 (After extra-time. Spain win 4-2 on penalties)

Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso insisted helping his team reach the semi-finals of Euro 2012 was more important than winning his 100th cap after scoring twice to knock out France.

RUI COSTA led the so-called golden generation and Deco masterminded Luiz Felipe Scolari’s more combative side but now there is a big hole in the Portugal midfield.

Germany 1 Portugal 0

By Shaun Cronin (@ShaunCronin7)

For Roberto Di Matteo, being crowned champion of Europe might not be enough.

Chelsea caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo is “very hopeful” Gary Cahill and David Luiz will be fit to start Chelsea’s Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Frank Lampard, normally the kind of serious and professionally-focused character more concerned with leading by example than with bawling out instructions to his team-mates, is exercising his vocal chords this week as he prepares to step into John Terry’s shoes and captain Chelsea in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

On a day when rumours that Fabio Capello could become the next manager of Chelsea no matter what the result in this weekend’s Champions League final reached a crescendo in Milan, the current Italian incumbent at Stamford Bridge made sure he gave absolutely nothing away about his own future.

Sergio Aguero ended Manchester City’s 44-year search for a title in extraordinary fashion as two goals in injury-time gave Roberto Mancini’s men a scarcely-believable 3-2 win over 10-man QPR.

Chelsea 2 Blackburn 1

Chelsea interim manager Roberto di Matteo has sprung to the defence of captain John Terry after questions were asked about the England defender’s form.

Chelsea interim manager Roberto di Matteo has sprung to the defence of captain John Terry after questions were asked about the England defender’s form.

Interim boss Roberto Di Matteo has gambled on resting both Juan Mata and Frank Lampard as he makes six changes for Chelsea’s Premier League game against Newcastle tonight.

Bayern Munich chief executive officer Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is adamant Arjen Robben will extend his contract with the club.

UEFA will not change their rules on yellow cards for the Champions League for at least three years despite six players being suspended for the Chelsea v Bayern Munich final after being cautioned in the semi-finals.

Chelsea’s hopes of a reprieve for the trio of players suspended for the Champions League final have been dashed.

Chelsea captain John Terry will be able to lift the Champions League trophy and collect his medal should the Blues beat Bayern Munich, UEFA today confirmed.

The Camp Nou was the stadium where Fergie’s phrase ‘Football, bloody hell’ was coined some 13 years ago, but it is arguable that the stunning arena has ever seen anything more astonishing than Chelsea’s victory over Barcelona on Tuesday night.

John Obi Mikel has said UEFA should scrap the rule banning players from the Champions League final after Chelsea prepared to head to Munich without four key players.

John Obi Mikel believes UEFA should overturn suspensions on the “devastated” Chelsea quartet that will miss the Champions League final.

Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo believes Chelsea deserve their place in the Champions League final after overcoming Barcelona.

Chelsea had 10 lions in Barcelona last night as they somehow produced a miraculous, astonishing rearguard action to reach the Champions League final; 10 super-heroes and one stupid boy.

Chelsea captain John Terry apologised to his team-mates for "letting them down" after being sent off in the first half of his side's remarkable Champions League semi-final aggregate victory over Barcelona.

Chelsea have qualified for the Champions League final after beating Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in their semi-final tie, drawing the second leg 2-2 at the Nou Camp tonight.

Chelsea 1 Barcelona 0

Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification have not quite been totally shot down, but they received a fairly hefty wounding courtesy of Texan Clint Dempsey last night.

Fulham 1 Chelsea 1

Chelsea 2 Wigan 1

Roberto Di Matteo now has two weeks to prepare his Chelsea side for their sixth Champions League semi-final in nine years.

Chelsea 2 Benfica 1 (Chelsea win 3-1 on aggregate)

The word around Stamford Bridge last night, as Chelsea prepared for their biggest game of a tumultuous season, was that owner Roman Abramovich still wants Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to be his latest managerial acquisition in time for next season.

Raul Meireles is Chelsea’s only doubt for tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

There can be little doubt that Frank Lampard was right when he said that Chelsea are no longer the force of old, but they still have the knack of winning games they don’t deserve to.

Benfica 0 Chelsea 1

The sheer scale of the numbers had threatened to crush Fernando Torres; 24 hours and 33 minutes of playing time without a goal coming into this game, 150 days since he last found the net.

Chelsea 5 Leicester 2

Didier Drogba is the embodiment of Chelsea — in both negative and positive ways.

Chelsea 1 Stoke 0