Makelele

Kevin McCarra writes a supportive piece in the Guardian Unlimited about Claude Makelele's importance to Chelsea. He explains why Claude defines our modern sense of the Holding Midfielder's role...

The Real [Madrid] captain of the time, Fernando Hierro, said that everyone in the squad knew that Makelele was the best player at the club. Zinédine Zidane reckoned that Pérez had sold the engine from the sports car.

Claude has been out of the side. The several games' rest of Makelele is Mourinho's secret weapon against a Liverpool side that will be primed to score goals for the Kop in tonight's Champion's League semi-final second leg at Anfield.