Mikel calls on UEFA to overturn final bans

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.

Chelsea’s stunning success in Barcelona on Tuesday night, where they managed to subvert football logic as they came back from two goals down with 10 men to reach the decider was tempered slightly by the fact they will be severely weakened by suspensions for the showpiece occasion.

John Terry can have few complaints after he was rightly sent off for ridiculously planting his knee into Alexis Sanchez’s back, but there was sympathy for Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles after they picked up yellow cards in the Nou Camp that will see them miss the final.