AVB won't make emergency call

Alex
12 April 2012

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has defended his refusal to "dial 911" for Alex as a matter of principle.

That is despite a potential injury crisis and Villas-Boas' previous claims that defender Alex - and striker Nicolas Anelka - could yet earn a recall to his first-team squad.

If ever there was a time to bring Alex in from the cold, it is now, with Chelsea potentially down to just one fit centre-half for the west London derby with Fulham but Villas-Boas insisted he would rather play Jose Bosingwa, Paulo Ferreira or Oriol Romeu out of position than turn to a man he banished from his squad for submitting a transfer request.

"He's not going to play," Villas-Boas said.

"Because we have accepted a transfer request in anticipation of the market and we are not stupid people.

"We don't push out people who submit transfer requests and put people apart to then dial 911 and ask for help.

"So, at the moment, we will stick to our principles and to our values.

"It was a decision we thought was good for the club.

"The request was accepted, so we have to let the market open and we have to continue to adapt ourselves if situations like this continue to arise."

Asked if he now regretted acting so hastily with Alex, Villas-Boas said: "That was a decision that we felt sensible and competent at that time and we will stick to it."

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