Deco tells Chelsea stars to take responsibility

Chelsea midfielder Deco has told his team-mates to stand up and be counted in Tuesday's make or break Champions League showdown against CFR Cluj.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's team will be eliminated from the competition if they fail to beat Romanian minnows Cluj and Bordeaux defeat Roma.

It is a precarious position for a club more used to fighting it out for a place in the final. But Deco knows the three-time semi-finalists have their fate in their hands and will have only themselves to blame if they suffer a humiliating early exit.

“We know how important it is. We know that we need to win or maybe we don't go to the next round,” Deco said. “We know the responsibility we have. We just have to try to do our best and I think we are going to win.

“We have one game to qualify. It is a difficult game because of the pressure for us but we know we just have to win.”

Chelsea's failure to win any of their three away games in Group A has taken the qualification battle down to the wire when many expected them to coast through.

Deco was never in such a tense situation during his time at Porto and Barcelona, and the Portugal star admits he is surprised that Chelsea are still sweating on a place in the last 16.

“I haven't been in this position before. It is a surprise for us,” he said.

“We have many problems with injuries, many players out. We had difficulties in the away games, losing to Roma and drawing with Cluj. Now we have just one game to be in the last 16.

“We have had it difficult but now we have to think about this game. We can't think about what happened in those other games.

“We are still in a good position. We need to win on Wednesday.”

Frank Lampard's absence through suspension puts the onus on Deco to produce the kind of influential display that made him a key figure during Porto and Barcelona's successful Champions League campaigns.

After a quiet spell in recent weeks, Deco scored a stunning bicycle kick at Bolton on Saturday and the playmaker is confident he will help Chelsea go through.

“It is difficult to play without Frank because he is a great player and one of the leaders of this team. But I think we can win without Lamps. We would like him to play but he is out and we have to find a solution for this,” Deco said.

“We have Lamps suspended and many injuries but these things happen. My responsibilities are the same, to play well and help us win the game.”