Benitez offers no selection guarantees

LONDON. Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez yesterday offered no guarantees that captain John Terry and veteran midfielder Frank Lampard will play in next week’s UEFA Europa League final.Defender Terry missed the 2012 UEFA Champions League final victory through suspension and Lampard, who is closing in on Bobby Tambling’s 202-goal club goalscoring record, is in the final weeks of his current contract, with uncertainty over whether his stay at Stamford Bridge will be extended.Benitez suggested there was no room for sentiment in his team selection, confirming only that Lampard would start at Aston Villa on Saturday and that the full team for the Premier League match and next Wednesday’s Europa League final with Benfica in Amsterdam is still to be determined.“What I can say is that Lampard will play against Aston Villa and I cannot say anything about the final,” Benitez said. The only player that I can guarantee today who will play against Aston Villa is Lampard. The final, I don’t know. I haven’t decided [the team] yet.”Former England captain Terry has not started in the last three games and was an unused substitute in last night’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur. Benitez declined to reveal his defensive preferences.“The competition in this position is really hard here,” he said. “[Gary] Cahill, [Branislav] Ivanovic, David Luiz, they are doing well, too. Now we have four centre-backs, they have to compete and they are doing well.”

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Benitez offers no selection guarantees