Amsterdam: Chelsea could be without captain John Terry and playmaker Eden Hazard for Wednesday's Europa League final against Benfica. After winning the Champions League title last year, Chelsea failed to reach the knockout stage this season and has long been a non-factor in the Premier League title chase. That means only victory in the lesser of Europe's two cup tournaments can salvage a disappointing season for the London club.
Both Terry and Hazard picked up injuries Sunday in Chelsea's Premier League win over Aston Villa - meaning Terry could miss his second straight European final after being suspended for last year's Champions League decider.
Benfica, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back after losing their lead in the Portuguese league to title rival Porto in their top-of-the-table clash Saturday. Porto now has a one-point advantage over Benfica with one round to play.
Chelsea come into the final on an eight-match unbeaten run and have a number of defensive options who can fill in for Terry - including Brazil international David Luiz, who transferred from Benfica two years ago. Their more worrisome injury may be the hamstring problem for Hazard, who limped off in stoppage time of the Villa game. Hazard is steadily turning into Chelsea's most creative player and his speed and passing skills would be sorely missed against Benfica.
Both face a fitness test during Chelsea's evening training session at the Amsterdam ArenA, home of Ajax. For Benfica coach Jorge Jesus, his concerns have more to do with mental damage than physical.
In an almost symbolic gesture, Jesus fell to his knees when Porto scored in injury time last weekend for a 2-1 come-from-behind victory. On top of the setback, it has also been increasingly evident that the Lisbon players are showing the wear of a draining season which, like Chelsea, included a group-stage exit from the Champions League.
Benfica's heyday was in the 1960s when they reached five European Champions' Cup finals. The last one they won, in 1962 against Real Madrid, was in Amsterdam. They have lost six finals on the trot since then, the last one in 1990, meaning they have gone 23 years without a final.
By comparison, Chelsea's taste of victory is still fresh, having beaten Bayern Munich on penalties in last year's Champions League final.
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