Chelsea’s stalwart, Thibaut Courtois believes this week could be crucial to Chelsea’s campaign, but the goalkeeper is backing last season’s champions to turn things around.
The goalkeeper returned to the starting line-up for the first time since 29 August, and saw his team bow to 1-0 home defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday, but the fixture list leaves no time to reflect on that disappointment.
Chelsea host Porto at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Wednesday, with qualification for both sides at stake, which is followed by a visit to Premier League leaders Leicester City.
‘Of course we are upset, but we have to regroup again and show strength against Porto in the Champions League and next Monday at Leicester,’ said Courtois.
‘It’s an important week for us. On Wednesday we have to win to make sure we are first and qualified. That will be a big boost for the team as well.
‘Then Leicester away is a difficult game. We knew last year it was not easy there and now they have the confidence and are playing really well. It will be a very tough game but we are confident we can push on there.’
Commenting on the Bournemouth game, he said:
‘We had some chances, we didn’t finish them and at the end the game can change,’ he reflected. ‘It was difficult creating open chances, although we had them, and if we had scored one then maybe more would come.
‘At home you always want to win. We had the confidence after our last games. We were unlucky in our finishing.
‘I think this season we are a bit unlucky some games, but we have the same good team as last year and that team was champions so I think we have the quality to get out of this situation and we just have to fight every day, every game.’
After missing 17 games through injury since his previous Blues appearance against Crystal Palace, Courtois was left with mixed feelings about his comeback.
‘I just try to play my game, help the team like every player wants to do,’ he said. ‘I think I started well with some good saves, but it’s a pity for the goal I couldn’t have a good touch on the ball.
‘If you’re being pushed by another guy it’s not easy to have a hard hit on the ball and it ended up at the wrong foot and it was a goal.’
