SYMPATHY for the world’s richest club is in small measure when it comes to a shortage of manpower and to be fair to José Mourinho, he does not expect any different. But there is no doubting that injuries and fatigue have become an issue for Chelsea as their pursuit of a treble takes its toll.

The manager and his squad were all in agreement that Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool had been a decent result but, even if that was said with utmost sincerity, they could not be so upbeat about a jaded performance.

Has a long season caught up with some of the Chelsea players? Perhaps the answer will be seen in Mourinho’s selection against Bolton Wanderers tomorrow. All of his men will want to start on a day when victory would clinch the championship, but the manager may conclude that some require protection from themselves.

They include players such as John Terry, who has been taking two or three painkilling injections every week for a foot injury. In the captain’s eyes it would be unthinkable to sit in the stands while his team-mates secured the Barclays Premiership title, but another painful blow in the European Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool forced him to limp away from Stamford Bridge and Bolton are hardly lacking in physical prowess.

William Gallas, whose disenchantment at playing left back has made him a target for Barcelona, came out late for the second half on Wednesday night after more treatment on his back problem, while Damien Duff did not make it on to the pitch at all because of a hamstring strain. Arjen Robben has not started a domestic match for more than two months, while Frank Lampard looked a weary man after 90 minutes of frustration.

Mourinho, who must also be ruing the long-term absence of Paulo Ferreira, his right back, had drawn attention to the physical demands in remarking that Wednesday’s game was Terry’s 50th appearance of the season and Lampard’s 53rd. “That is the kind of superhuman effort you have to make if you are going to be successful at the highest level,” he said.

The Chelsea manager can console himself that his players are certainly willing. Terry has been more than happy to play through considerable pain while Lampard, who has started every Premiership and Champions League contest and excelled in most of them, is the nearest thing to superhuman.

The good news, too, is that defeat at the Reebok Stadium would be tolerable for Mourinho given the 11-point advantage over Arsenal. The North London club may surrender the championship away to West Bromwich Albion on Monday night and, even if they do not, Chelsea have a home match against Charlton Athletic a week tomorrow.

Mourinho said earlier this week that he expected to play a strong team against Bolton and perhaps he believes that winning the championship will be the best painkiller of all. “We have to get the championship won as quickly as possible,” Joe Cole said. “We want to win it at Bolton. If we can do that it will be easy for us to be properly concentrated on the second leg in Liverpool.”

Petr Cech concurred, while acknowledging that it will be “a very physical and difficult game for us. Bolton are in a great position and trying to achieve a European place, which would be amazing for them.” A point would be a good result for Chelsea in the circumstances and if Cech is in the form of Wednesday night, when he kept his 27th clean sheet of the campaign, Bolton will struggle to find a way through.

“I know it wasn’t the last clean sheet I will have this season,” Cech said. “We need another one at Bolton to win the title and another one at Liverpool to be sure.

“To be playing for a team like Chelsea is very difficult for any goalkeeper and it’s the same at Manchester United or Arsenal. You don’t have anything to do for 40 minutes and then you have to make one save which can be the most important thing in the game.”

Jerzy Dudek, his opposite number, did not have a save to make at Stamford Bridge, but both goalkeepers can expect to be busier at Anfield next Tuesday in what Cole predicted would be a far more open contest. “It will be a different game at Anfield and it will be a cracking game, too,” the midfield player said. “It will be two great English sides going at it. There’s no way they’re favourites and we’re every bit as much in this game as them. But first things first and we want to win the title on Saturday.”

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