Cahill ‘Praying’ for Hamstring Recovery

Chelsea defender, Gary Cahill, has said that he is ‘praying’ that the hamstring injury that forced him off in the Blues’ Champions League draw at Barcelona, on Tuesday, won’t keep him out of the final, in May.

The England international was substituted after just 12 minutes, following an awkward tumble in the opening stages. It has since been confirmed that he has injured his hamstring.

Roberto Di Matteo’s defensive options are already limited, ahead of the final, after both John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic picked-up suspensions in the Nou Camp. If fit, Cahill will be guaranteed to start in the final.

“I’m hoping it’s not as bad as we first thought”, he told Sky Sports News. “I just felt a pop in my hamstring. I just pray the scan is all right.”

Chelsea went into the match as severe underdogs in the betting odds; after scraping a 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the first-leg, it was expected that the Catalan side would play them off the park in the return leg.

Like in the game at Stamford Bridge, the Blues chose to frustrate Pep Guardiola’s men by sitting deep and hitting them on the counter-attack. Despite Terry’s early dismissal, Chelsea stuck to their guns, and ground out a 2-2 draw to seal a place in the final in Munich.

Cahill has praised his side’s performance and admits that he was amazed by how well they defended as a unit. “The lads were absolutely outstanding; the way they stuck together and ground out the result”, he said. “It was amazing. Phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal.”