Cesar Azpilicueta is adamant Chelsea will not sacrifice their place in the Europa League just to avoid a fixture pile-up.
Chelsea take on Steaua Bucharest in the last-16, second-leg tie tomorrow night trailing 1-0 from the first match in Romania last week.
Progression to the last eight, however, will make the task of fitting in an FA Cup quarter-final replay with Manchester United even harder.
Chelsea want to win both Cups and qualify for the Champions League but would have to play 19 games in 66 days to do it.
It has been suggested that Chelsea would be better off going out of the Europa League but Azpilicueta said: “We’re not going to sacrifice any competition. We have the squad to play in all the competitions.
“We’re professional, we’re playing a lot of games and it’s the longest season in the history of the club. These last months are the most important because they decide the trophies. Physically it’s possible and mentally we have the capacity to do it.”
Under-fire boss Rafa Benitez moaned that he will be held responsible for the busy fixture list, too.
“I can do nothing about that (the fixtures),” he said. “I concentrate on my job and do my best to prepare for every competition. Maybe someone else will blame me because everything is my fault.”
The game will go to penalties should Chelsea win 1-0, but Benitez has not staged extra practice.
“Penalties depend on the heart not just practice, he said. “We have players who can take them and we’re confident it won’t go there anyway.”
