Nobody is leaving The Bridge: Clarke

Adrian Curtis

The former Real Madrid player has started just two matches this season and claims he is not satisfied at Stamford Bridge because of the lack of first-team football.

But Chelsea’s assistant manager Steve Clarke said none of Jose Mourinho’s table-topping squad would be leaving and that includes the unhappy Geremi and defender Robert Huth, who is interesting Bayern Munich.

Geremi, who cost the club £7million, enjoyed a loan spell at Middlesbrough two years ago and said he would relish a return.

But Clarke said: “There’s been one or two quotes attributed to our players over the course of the season.

“Players who are not involved as much as other players can get a bit frustrated. Geremi played on Saturday so maybe his timing wasn’t the best but we don’t even know if he said those things. It is only rumour and supposition.

“We want to keep everybody that we have got in the squad now. We have got a lot of tough matches between now and the end of the season and we will need everybody.”

Clarke’s response will not help Geremi’s plight and Mourinho’s number two insisted the midfielder had not handed in a transfer request.

But Geremi is clearly unhappy if his comments are to be believed.

Geremi said: “I am not satisfied because I am not playing. Mourinho is not giving me opportunities and I don’t like to be on the bench.”

Geremi is the first of the Chelsea squad to voice his dislike of the rotational system now being adopted by Mourinho.

Earlier this season captain John Terry praised his team-mates, particularly those on the fringes of the first team, for not whinging about their individual situations.

Indeed, Geremi could do a lot worse than focus on the response of England youngster Joe Cole, who has bounced right back into favour with Mourinho for all the right reasons.

Two months ago the Chelsea manager told Cole there was no place for him in his midfield system unless he learned to improve the defensive side of his game.

Cole’s willingness to listen and work hard has been rewarded with a place in the starting line-up in the last two matches and he is now ready to continue his rehabilitation against Man United in the Carling Cup semi-final, first leg at Stamford Bridge tonight.

The player is now far happier than when he, found himself on the outside for much of the season.

“I am happier now that I am playing but I think that applies to every player at the club,” said Cole.

“But I do understand that Chelsea are the biggest club in the country and one of the biggest in Europe at the moment.

“I have been working hard on my game. I had to try and take on things from the manager and I feel I have taken another step-up. I am enjoying my football at the moment.

“What Jose meant was that the way I was playing, I couldn’t play in the midfield with his system. I just took that on board and listened to what he wanted. I did it and I’ve forced my way into the team now.

I am looking to stay in there, that’s the main thing.

“I’ve done a lot of hard work already on tactical things and my positioning. The manager wants me to put my foot in more but I’ve done that before in my career when I was in a relegation fight at West Ham.

“I am no stranger to putting my foot in. I need to apply myself to that job and have the discipline to do it.

“He’s always been clear with me about what he wants me to do. I feel that I’ve always applied myself right in training and in games.

“I haven’t got downhearted once because he’s always been clear and I’ve always known what I had to do. I think if it had come to the point where I didn’t know what I had to do then maybe I would have been.”

Cole, like the majority of the English contingent at Stamford Bridge have precious few medals to show for their efforts so far.

But he hopes a victory over United in the two-legged semis would give them a great chance of putting that right.

Cole added: “I haven’t won anything yet in my career, so just to win it would be brilliant.

“For any team to beat Man United is a big thing. I think they will field near enough a full team and they will be two cracking games.”

Chelsea have Arjen Robben suspended for the clash but no fresh injury worries. Mateja Kezman has shaken off the ankle injury he collected against Scunthorpe.