Today at 2:45 p.m. ET Schalke 04 and Chelsea go head-to-head in UEFA Champions League Group E action live from Veltins Arena in Germany. The game can be live streamed here.
Jose Mourinho said that he believe it's too early for him to worry about where Chelsea will ultimately finish in the Group E standings, even with a very important two matchups against Schalke 04 looming in the team's first return to Germany since hoisting the European Cup in Munich. Chelsea plays a Schalke team that has maximum points from two matches.
"I don't think it's yet the time to have the calculator and to be counting the number of points you need to qualify, or to be first or second, or to go into the Europa League," Mourinho told ESPN. "The calculator comes on the fifth fixture. The third and the fourth are still fixtures we can play just thinking about the game and trying to win, and if you cannot win try to get a point."
The upcoming two games are contests where Mourinho knows his team needs points, but also believes it won't make or break the club.
"We need points over these two matches [against Schalke]. That's obvious. But we're in condition to play without thinking about finishing first or second," he told ESPN.
Schalke comes into the contest hot, having won eight of its last 10 games, though the club has mixed results in competitions against English teams.
Chelsea will be without Ashley Cole (ribs) who will miss the game due to injury.
Royal Blues' coach Jens Keller picked out Chelsea as one of the favorite clubs to win, but feels that his club has no reason to feel inferior to them.
"Just a glance at Group E as well as our recent results in the Bundesliga give us self-confidence, of course," Keller said per ESPN. "We're at home and Chelsea are going to feel that from the very first minute."
Keller's club is excited to welcome back Kevin-Prince Boateng, who missed the last game due to a knee injury. Keller noted that "things are looking good with him," when discussing Boateng's return.
Chelsea will look to pick up much needed points while Schalke will hope to continue its great recent stretch when these two teams meet on the pitch.
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