If you were looking for excuses at Cobham this morning, you wouldn’t have found any. Liam Rosenior stepped into the press room ahead of tomorrow’s vital clash against Brighton & Hove Albion, and he didn’t pull any punches. With Chelsea sliding down to 6th and coming off a bruising 1-0 home loss to Manchester United, the manager was clear: the time for talk is over.
“It’s about character now,” Rosenior told reporters. “It’s about people who are willing, in difficult moments, to stand up for the shirt and fight. That’s what I’m looking for at the Amex.”
The Injury Front: Pedro’s Race Against Time
The big question on everyone’s lips was the status of Joao Pedro. The striker was a massive miss during the United defeat, and Rosenior confirmed he’ll be a “late call” for the trip to his former club.
“Joao was out on the pitch today,” he noted. “We’ll make a decision tomorrow morning. It’s a real positive because he’ll be back sooner rather than later.”
However, it’s not all good news. Estevao Willian is officially ruled out with an injury that requires further testing, while Enzo Fernandez has been given the green light to feature. Defensively, Levi Colwill is inching closer to a first-team return after getting 60 minutes under his belt for the U21s.
Under Pressure
Despite a horror run of four straight Premier League losses without scoring a single goal, Rosenior insisted the board is “100% behind” him. But with Brighton sitting just one point behind the Blues, this isn’t just a game—it’s a battle for European survival.
“We haven’t done well in recent games and that is on my shoulders,” he admitted. “We have a huge week ahead, including an FA Cup semi-final against Leeds, but the only focus right now is winning at Brighton.”
