Confident Grant has no fears for stand-in Cudicini

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The Czech international is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, as exclusively revealed by Standard Sport yesterday, having received 50 stitches in his lip following a collision in training with defender Tal Ben Haim.

It means Chelsea's No2 Cudicini, who has been playing for the past five weeks because Cech had an ankle problem, will be in goal for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Fenerbahce at home tonight.

Chelsea trail the Turkish club 2-1 from the first leg, but Grant has great faith in Cudicini. He said: "It is sad for Petr that he has been out, but Carlo has been doing a good job and I know he will do well for us.

"He [Cech] has been a bit unlucky this year. He was great in training and felt very good. It was a tackle between two players, it does not matter who the other player was. What matters is that he is injured again."

Grant and Cech's representatives are still publicly saying the keeper will be back in two weeks, but the serious nature of the cut is expected to rule him out for longer. The keeper was wearing his skull cap but it offered no protection as the wound was on the part of his face which is not covered.

Cech was taken to the Saint John-Saint Elizabeth Hospital in London for surgery on a laceration that a Chelsea source disclosed yesterday "went right to the jaw bone".

The Chelsea keeper had 30 stitches sewn in the deepest area of the wound that stretches from his bottom lip to his chin, a further 20 on the outside of his face and plastic surgery "for aesthetic reasons".