Grant salutes masked marvel

Manager Avram Grant said that defender John Terry was "very special" after he played in a protective mask during Chelsea FC's 2-1 win at Valencia CF.

Brave captain
The England defender suffered a fractured cheekbone in Chelsea's 0-0 Premier League draw against Fulham FC at the weekend but decided to play in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League Group B tie as his side looked to end a run of disappointing results in the league and in Europe. "John's very special," said Grant. "You can't have a better example than him."

'Iffy performances'
Terry himself added: "We had to pick ourselves up and we hope this is the kick-start we need after a few iffy performances. We haven't been performing as we'd have liked, but we had a great team spirit tonight. Maybe we had lost it a bit but it's been difficult. We had many great performances against Valencia and needed a collective performance."

'A great win'
An own goal from Emiliano Moretti and a Didier Drogba strike won the day at the Mestalla Stadium after David Villa had given the home side an early lead. Joe Cole was pleased with the result after the uncertainty following the departure of manager José Mourinho. "A lot has happened over the last month and we needed a win," said the midfielder. "It was a fantastic defensive display, two goals and a great win."