'Minor' trophy is not high on Grant's hot list

13 April 2012

Avram Grant will want more than a place in the Carling Cup Final before he bounds down the touchline in celebration a la Jose Mourinho.

The Chelsea manager is determined that his side capitalise on their 2-1 lead over Everton from the semi-final first leg tonight, yet he admitted yesterday: "I cannot tell you it will mean a lot to me. I want to win any game but for me the main target is other targets.

Bigger fish to fry: Grant wants more than just the Carling Cup

"Of course, it's important. I have been involved in sport for many years and I've never seen one game that I didn't want to win.

"When you come to a game you want to win and when you come to a trophy, even if it's not the major trophy, you want to take it. But if you want a true answer, I cannot say that this is the main thing for me."

Grant is confident Shaun Wright-Phillips will be available tonight but he will be without Frank Lampard for another fortnight.

Lampard suffered a setback in his recovery from a torn thigh muscle he picked up against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

This could mean Lampard is sweating on his place in Fabio Capello's first England squad.

Even if Lampard recovers quicker than is expected it gives him precious little time to impress Capello before England face Switzerland on February 6.

Discussing the midfielder's relapse, Grant said: 'All I can say about his injury is that he is not available for the moment but we hope he will be soon as possible. It is a little bit more complicated than we thought.'

Reflecting on tonight's tie Grant claimed 'small' Everton's need to win the Carling Cup was greater than Chelsea's.

Equating an Everton cup win to that of his former side Hapoel Petah Tikva's victory over Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv in the Israeli equivalent, the Toto Cup, Grant said: 'We were a very small club. We didn't have a budget even for the tea!

'We had just come from the second division and we won it against the best team in Israel so we were very happy. This is the reason I understand a team like Everton who are not used to taking trophies. Even minor trophies are very important to you.'

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