Grant welcomes SWP talks

Avram Grant has told Shaun Wright-Phillips that his door is always open for a chat if he is unhappy about being left out of the Chelsea side.

England winger Wright-Phillips has been omitted from Grant’s last two line-ups - against Schalke in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League.

His absence has sparked the inevitable speculation over the player’s future, with rumours that he will be sold in the January transfer window if Chelsea receive the right offer.

However, Grant is adamant that he wants all the players to be happy and anyone with problems is welcome to visit his office and sort them out.

Grant declared: “The players know before they sign that it will be a big squad at Chelsea and they will not play all the time.

“We need everybody. I want for the players to be happy. But I am sure that sometimes there is one player less happy than the others, but what matters is what they do for the team.

“What is important for me is how Shaun trains and his attitude on the pitch and off it. I want him to be happy like all the players. But I don’t think that I can make everybody happy unless I can play with one team in the first half and another in the second.

“I don’t want to sell any players. I am happy with the squad I have. If there is a problem, the players know now they can knock on my door and we will find a solution.”

Chelsea have won their last five matches and they could make it six against Leicester in the Carling Cup tonight.

Grant will again be without captain John Terry and left-back Ashley Cole who are both recovering from knee and ankle problems respectively.

Terry was instrumental in leading Chelsea through the difficult changeover period following Jose Mourinho’s departure and his leadership qualities have impressed Grant even though the defender has missed the last three games through injury.

Grant declared: “When you are talking about leadership, I think that in a difficult time, Chelsea had a great, great captain.

“Part of the progress we started six weeks ago belongs to him. He is a great leader in a very difficult time and I want him back in the team as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Grant admits that all available options will be discussed as he prepares to replace the world’s most potent striker in January.

The Chelsea coach knows he will have to overcome the temporary loss of Ivorian striker Didier Drogba when he leaves for the African Nations Cup – either with a permanent addition to his squad or a loan signing.

Midfielders Michael Essien and Mikel John Obi along with striker Salomon Kalou will also be heading off to Ghana for the competition in the new year but it is Drogba’s absence that threatens to hit Chelsea the hardest.

But Grant said: “Didier is an important player for us. I don’t think you’ve seen another striker better than him in the rest of the world today.

“He is very important and in good shape. He is getting better from game to game, but what is important now is the present for the next two months and then we will think about the African Nations Cup.”