Chelsea's Roberto Di Matteo off to Berlin on Bayern Munich spying trip
• Blues' manager to watch German Cup final on Saturday
• Italian to field a weakened side against Blackburn Rovers
by Dominic Fifield 1 year ago
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Roberto Di Matteo is to scout Bayern Munich in person by attending their German Cup final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening at Berlin's Olympic Stadium as his preparations for the Champions League final next week gather pace.

Chelsea's interim first-team coach will select a weakened team for Sunday's visit of Blackburn Rovers – a match that has been rendered meaningless with Chelsea sure to finish sixth and Steve Kean's side relegated – and his focus is now on the showpiece to come at the Allianz Arena.

Neither Gary Cahill nor David Luiz will play any part against Rovers as they continue their rehabilitation from hamstring injuries, with Di Matteo opting against risking the Brazilian. With Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry suspended for the final Luiz still seems the likelier to be passed fit despite being without any first-team football since the FA Cup semi-final last month, with Cahill's hamstring damage having always threatened to rule him out for at least three weeks. That time frame leaves him extremely doubtful to face Bayern.

Di Matteo will explore other options in training – with Paulo Ferreira or José Bosingwa spending time operating at centre-half – but remains hopeful that David Luiz, at least, will be available for what could prove to be the Italian's final game in charge of the team.

"We'll practise different solutions, just in case," Di Matteo said. "Neither David nor Gary will be available against Blackburn but we're trying our hardest working towards next Saturday in Munich in the hope they'll be in the group training next week. They've been out for three or four weeks, not three or four months, so hopefully they will not have lost too much match fitness.

"We'll have to push them as hard as we can, and they're trying their best as well to be available. I have next week to make those assessments. It'll be like that in the last couple of days, to see what level they reach, but I'm trying other solutions.

I will dedicate all the time I have now to prepare for the Bayern match. I've already watched many games, and I'm going over there to watch them on Saturday night in the cup final. I will analyse their patterns of play, but I have seen them before: in the two semi-finals as well as in the group stage."

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