Chelsea may have lost two goalkeepers but, fortunately for their first-team coach, they are still in the saving business. Their season, and Avram Grant’s job prospects, are very much alive, despite injuries to Petr Cech on Sunday and Carlo Cudicini last night.

Adversity was not a familiar foe to Chelsea during José Mourinho’s tenure. As if believing that true champions were forged only by overcoming hardship, the former manager more or less had to create it by ranting against opponents and authorities whose threats appeared more imagined than real to a side so cash-rich and cohesive.

Grant wants only peace and harmony, but is bedevilled by misfortune that requires Chelsea to show the resilience that remains their greatest quality, for all the Israeli’s talk of adding more grace to their play.

Cech? Punished for an obsessive desire to prevent the ball entering his net. He had been on the verge of returning from the ankle injury that has sidelined him since March 1 and had hoped to feature last night. But he had an operation on his face on Sunday, needing about 50 stitches and plastic surgery after an accidental clash with Tal Ben-Haim, the defender, in training.

“The injury happened during a standard training session. I collided with a team-mate while we were both going for the ball. I did save the ball as I never want to concede a goal. This injury was just bad luck,” Cech said.

The 25-year-old was talking optimistically yesterday about a swift return and playing for the Czech Republic at the European Championship this summer, but in reality he faces a struggle if he is to return by the end of the campaign. Incentives to do so are growing by the week. Chelsea are two matches from Moscow, never mind the progress in the Barclays Premier League that has stealthily turned them into realistic title challengers. Last night, he watched from the stands as the team took another step towards the Champions League final. Anfield awaits — again — but the goalkeeper may struggle to keep the appointment with Liverpool, such was the extent of his injury.

“The surgery took two hours and the surgeon did a great job,” Cech said. “I am awaiting information from the doctors about when I will return to training, but they are positive. I can speak and I can eat with the left side of my mouth.”

He added that the incident had provoked only worries about his appearance, not flashbacks to the fractured skull he suffered last season in a challenge with Stephen Hunt, of Reading. “It is really sad because I had recovered from my ankle injury and was back in training,” he said. “This season has really been the worst ever for me.”

He would not have been overly busy early on last night because Fenerbahçe were as compliant as Olympiacos in the previous round. In their yellow and black-striped replica kits, the loud travelling support resembled a throbbing nest of wasps, but the sting was all Chelsea’s.

Cudicini’s injury added question marks to a tie that had seemed a certain Chelsea victory, full stop. Grant certainly has problems to solve, but at least he still has hope. Bad luck is out of his control, but success remains within his grasp.