No Terry apology to Milner
Terry was booked for his high tackle on Milner during the second half of their 3-0 FA Cup semi-final victory on Saturday, a challenge labelled “horrendous” by O’Neill after the game.
The Chelsea defender tried to speak to his England colleague after the game but found Villa’s dressing room locked.
Terry and Milner exchanged a number of text messages on Sunday night but it is understood the Chelsea player did not feel the need to say sorry.
“I think the yellow card was right,” Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti said yesterday. “I saw the tackle on the television. John touched the ball before making contact with Milner.
“I know that Terry called Milner and, for Milner, it was okay. I think the decision of the referee was right.
“It was a yellow card. The rules say that, if you have the intention to touch the ball, it’s not a red card.
“I know he tried to speak with Milner after the game on Saturday. He went to their locker room but it was locked. I know O’Neill was upset but there’s no news.”
A spokesman for Chelsea added: “They texted each other and John was checking to see if he was okay. He didn’t say sorry.”
Meanwhile, Ancelotti’s side are now favourites to become the seventh club in history to achieve the League and FA Cup double.
Manchester United’s goalless draw with Blackburn on Sunday left Chelsea a point ahead at the summit with a game in hand, a game they will play against Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge tonight.
United’s draw at Ewood Park was enough to prompt Alex Ferguson to launch his latest version of mind games by suggesting that the title was now Chelsea’s to lose.
“I hope that Alex is correct,” Ancelotti added. “Maybe before you can say it will be easy, but I haven’t played an easy game this season.
“No matches are easy, even if you go out and score a lot of goals in the game itself. No, it’s mind games. Ferguson is clever.
“On paper we are favourites against Bolton, but only on paper. It’s normal that Chelsea will win in theory, but we need to go out and achieve this.
“The title is in our hands. We are able to do our best, to maintain this level, we can win it.”
The situation is simple for Chelsea. Win their last five league games and beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup final on May 15 and the double is theirs.
But Ancelotti wants his players to forget about such an achievement in a bid to guard against complacency.
“We are excited because we are involved in the most important competitions in England,” added the Italian.
“Every game we need to do our best because every game will be difficult. Bolton will not be an easy game because they didn’t play on Saturday.
“They will come to Stamford Bridge fresh. They can do a game with high tempo, so we have to pay attention. Bolton is one of the most important games of our season.
“Now is not the moment to think ‘If we win the double’ or not. The most important thing is to stay focused game by game. Our minds are focused on the Bolton game. Nothing else. We don’t want to think about what might happen in a month. We have to wait, stay calm and focused. And, tomorrow, we have to improve our position and send United four points away. That’s the most important thing.
“Maybe, if we are able to do this tomorrow, it could be a very important step towards winning the title.”
For his part, Bolton manager Owen Coyle believes beating “champions-elect” Chelsea on their territory is currently the hardest challenge in the Barclays Premier League.
“Chelsea are a very good team. We are very respectful and wary of that,’’ Coyle said.
“We accept going to Chelsea is the toughest challenge around at the moment but it is a game when there is three points available.
“The form they are in, as champions-elect after Manchester United dropped points at the weekend to hand them the incentive, it will certainly be difficult.
“But if we play to our best we can win any given game but we have to recognise we are playing a team with world-class players.
“We have to make sure we get to our best and if we do that we will have a chance.”
However Coyle brushed aside the assertion by Ferguson after United’s draw with Blackburn that Chelsea were in for an “easy” game against Wanderers.
“That’s his opinion (Ferguson), he has it and he’s given it,” said Coyle.
“Everyone has written us off but I’ve been in that position before and gone to Chelsea and won, as I did with Burnley in the cup, and I can assure you it can be done.
“I’ll concentrate on what we can do and not what anyone else says.”
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