Petr Cech is on his way back to fitness and is set to to resume full training.
Shot-stopper hopes to stay fit in the New Year
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is on his way back to fitness and is due to resume full training.
The Czech stop-stopper has been sidelined for the last four games following hip damage, suffering the initial injury against Blackburn on 23rd December, and then aggravating it against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
But he believes he is now on the way back and hopes to stay fit in the New Year.
Cech told
Chelsea TV: "Recently I have been training hard, returning to fitness and the injury has reacted very well so hopefully I am on the way back.
"If nothing changes, I should join the team and I hope I will stay there on the pitch as long as I can.
"It was quite a long time I was injured with first my calf and then I played only a few games and I was injured again - so I hope I stay fit in the New Year."
Risk
Cech admitted that it had been a risk to take part in the Villa game so soon after suffering the initial knock.
"We took a little bit of a risk and I tried to play this game," he said.
"Unfortunately at the end of the game the injury was worse and they didn't allow me to play again. Since then I have been sidelined."
Hilario
Hilario has deputised in goal and he was pleased with the way the Blues beat Everton 2-1 in the Carling Cup semi-final home leg on Tuesday, despite having John Obi Mikel sent off.
Hilario said: "Even with 10 men, we believed in ourselves. It is difficult but we pushed hard and we had a chance to score. We believed until the end that we could win the game.
"Mikel is fundamental to us. When we lost him it was hard to find the way to play again and it was difficult to get the win but he has nothing he needs to say to us because he went into the challenge to get the ball. He didn't want to hurt the player, he just wanted to get the ball.
"The refs are more focused on this kind of challenge and everybody has to adapt but on the pitch in that moment, the players are only focused on the ball."
