Di Matteo rules out defeat against Spurs

Roberto Di Matteo said Chelsea cannot afford to lose Saturday’s London derby against Tottenham if they want to finish in the top four.

Chelsea currently trail Harry Redknapp’s side by four points in the fight for Champions League qualification and are looking to bounce back from Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Samir Nasri’s winner condemned Di Matteo to his first defeat since taking over as caretaker following the departure of Andre Villas-Boas last month but the Italian believes his side’s experience could give them the edge over Spurs.

“The experience factor will definitely play a role because we have players who are used to playing pressure,” he said.

“The teams are fighting for fourth spot and we all understand the importance of that. We want to take advantage of our home form and a win would give us a big lift, but even if we manage to just get a draw then we are still in it. If we lose it will be very difficult.

“It was a bit of a setback for us on Wednesday but it was a great effort. Anyone who saw the game will know we created a lot of problems for City so we will take a lot of confidence into tomorrow’s game,” Di Matteo said.

Defender Branislav Ivanovic is a major doubt to face Spurs with a groin strain but midfielder Oriol Romeu and captain John Terry are both back from injury.

And with games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle among Chelsea’s remaining fixtures, Di Matteo is thankful to have Terry back in the ranks.

“He’s a very influential player for us and we’re happy that he is available again. I’m very pleased,” he said.

“We have the most difficult fixture list compared to the other teams but we have a good squad and all the resources we need to be able to challenge for fourth place.”