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Chelsea 2 Fulham 2December 30, 2006
JOHN TERRY may be rushed back into action sooner than expected after another setback for the champions.
Chelsea shipped another two goals without their skipper, who is recovering from back surgery.
The Blues medical team forecast a return for Terry by the end of January. Terry himself is eyeing a comeback in next weekend's FA Cup tie against Macclesfield having trained just 24 hours after his operation on Thursday.
But boss Jose Mourinho must wish his inspirational star could be available for Tuesday's must-win clash against Aston Villa.
Chelsea have now conceded eight goals in their last four league games without Terry. And they now find themselves six points behind leaders Manchester United.
Fulham boss Chris Coleman was true to his word, though, with his side having a real go. He said Chelsea were beatable and the champions found themselves trailing to Moritz Volz's opener.
Frank Lampard saw Liam Rosenior deflect his effort into the Fulham goal to equalise.
Didier Drogba's 20th goal of the season put Chelsea in front but Carlos Bocanegra had the final say with a late leveller.
Mourinho blasted his stars afterwards and revealed he cannot wait to get Terry and crocked keeper Petr Cech back in the team.
Despite Chelsea's poor run, Mourinho claimed he is not prepared to waste millions of pounds in the transfer window for average players.
He said: "If the club asks for my opinion, I would say ‘yes’ to new players but at the same time, when I see the eyes of some clubs and they want incredible money for very ordinary players, I would say ‘no’.
"A normal player is a normal player. You cannot pay a fortune, so if it is like that, we go with the players we have.
"It is difficult but I hope that John Terry and Petr Cech are back soon.
"I don’t need millions next month, I need the best goalkeeper and the best central defender in the world back."
Mourinho also fears he has lost England midfielder Joe Cole for the rest of the season.
Cole, who has a stress fracture of the foot, has been advised to undergo surgery by the club doctor but Cole has yet to make his mind up.
The Blues chief said: "Joe Cole, I think, is an injury forever - or at least for the season. He has a stress fracture and has to make a decision about surgery or no surgery. I don’t know his decision but time flies.
"He has an opinion from our doctor which is surgery but we are waiting for the player to make his decision."
Coleman revealed his Fulham side took advantage of Chelsea's shattered confidence.
He said: "We knew it would be tough and it was. But we also knew that the result Chelsea had against Reading - a 2-2 draw - meant that the longer we stayed in the game with a goal in it, we always had a chance.
"Once Chelsea go one goal up, it is very difficult to get back into the game because they are such a good team.
"But we felt their confidence was knocked after the Reading game and they are missing a key player in captain John Terry. He would be a loss for any team.
"They have two goalkeepers out and no Arjen Robben and Joe Cole. Everybody talks about Chelsea’s squad but those players are main players and they have not got them.
"We thought if there was a goal in it in the last 15 or 20 minutes they would get nervous and they did.
"We looked as though we would score and even snatch a winner.
"Chelsea have still got great players and are a great team but they are just having one of those periods where they are a bit shaky because they are missing certain players.
"They will come through it. People might say it is Manchester United’s title now because the gap is six points but there is still a long way to go - Jose knows that and Sir Alex Ferguson knows that.
"For us today it was a great point."
Chelsea were all over Fulham from the start with Michael Essien firing wide before forcing Antti Niemi into a fine save.
Salomon Kalou partnered Drogba in attack with Mourinho dropping Andriy Shevchenko to the bench.
And Kalou was only inches away from turning home Essien's 13th-minute cross.
Kalou then misdirected a header from Geremi's centre as the visitors found themselves overrun.
But totally against the run of play, the Cottagers made Chelsea pay for their misses by taking the lead on 17 minutes.
Volz netted the 15,000th Premiership goal with a fierce right-footed volley after a clever dummy from Tomasz Radzinski fooled the home backline.
Michael Ballack was poised to level two minutes later but Bocanegra put in a brilliant saving tackle to deny the German.
Fulham should have increased their lead in the 26th minute but the unmarked Wayne Routledge fired over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.
Lampard helped the Blues equalise on 35 minutes with a drive that was diverted home by Rosenior.
England star Lampard then fizzed a 25-yarder high before his free-kick was deflected over by Drogba.
Fulham came out for the second half determined to shake up their neighbours and Brian McBride's header was pushed off the line by Hilario on 47 minutes.
Mourinho brought on Shevchenko for Geremi after 57 minutes. And four minutes later Chelsea had the lead through Drogba.
He became the first Chelsea player in a decade to score 20 goals in one season with a header from Lampard's cross.
But Chelsea were rocked six minutes from time when Essien failed to clear a cross from Franck Queudrue and after McBride’s shot was superbly saved by Hilario, Bocanegra pounced to equalise from close range.
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