Jose waiting on Wes

Posted Tuesday, April 06, 2010 by PA

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho is sweating on the fitness of midfielder Wesley Sneijder ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg at CSKA Moscow.

The Nerazzurri hold a 1-0 advantage thanks to Diego Milito's second-half strike at the San Siro last Wednesday, but suffered a blow this afternoon when Sneijder limped out of training at the Luzhniki Stadium with a right ankle problem.

The Holland international had been a doubt for Saturday's Serie A encounter against Bologna but appeared from the bench for the last 20 minutes of the 3-0 win and looked to have come through unscathed.

However, he had to be helped from the pitch during a practice game this afternoon after a collision with team-mate Sulley Muntari and now looks a doubtful starter for tomorrow's crucial clash.

"Sneijder has a problem. We will wait and hope," said Mourinho.

"Like with everyone else I will wait until the last moment (to make a decision)."

Mourinho accepts both teams have it all to play for tomorrow with CSKA far from out of it, but he appears upbeat over his side's chances.

"The 1-0 result leaves the tie open," the Portuguese told Sky Italia. "If we do not concede a goal we are in the semis.

"If we score a goal we have an even better chance of being in the semi-finals, but if they score first it will become very difficult.

"But football is not made of 'ifs'.

"Unfortunately for us, although we played very well in the first leg, we scored just one goal. You need balance and concentration.

"I feel confident, especially given the way in which we won the first leg and how we have played in recent Champions League games.

"The team gives me confidence. We won our last four Champions League matches.

"This year we lost only at the home of the European champions (a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona on November 24).

"For all these reasons I am confident, but to reach the semi-finals we still need to get past this game - a tough game."

Goalkeeper Julio Cesar and centre-back Ivan Cordoba are slight doubts after sustaining minor knocks during Saturday's win over Bologna.

The pair have been included in Mourinho's travelling party but will face late fitness tests to determine their availability.

Mario Balotelli has also made the trip to the Russian capital and is seemingly back in favour with Mourinho after marking his return to action with a goal against Bologna at the weekend.

The teenage striker, who previously had not played for the Nerazzurri since March 7 and who has been linked with a move to AC Milan, last week apologised to Mourinho after donning a Rossoneri shirt on a television show.

Inter will be attempting to reach the last four of Europe's elite club competition for the first time in seven years.

CSKA will be vying to become the first Russian team to reach the semi-finals of the competition in the Champions League era. Spartak Moscow were the last side from their country to reach the last four, in 1991, back in the European Cup days.

Coach Leonid Slutsky knows his CSKA team must be on the front foot if they are to advance, but accepts another Inter goal would leave his side with a mountain to climb.

"Obviously we have to score and to do so we must be more aggressive going forward," he said.

"But we can not forget about defending because if we concede again our task will become virtually impossible."

He added: "The most important thing is the result.

"If we qualify without playing spectacular football, I am sure everyone at the club will be happy."

Slutsky will be without midfield duo Evgeni Aldonin and Milos Krasic through suspension tomorrow, but is optimistic his side will cope.

He said: "It's always tough when you lose two players (Aldonin and Krasic), but we have more than 11 components to our team.

"We must change the initial XI but I really hope that the quality of our game will remain intact."

Much has been made of the artificial pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium, but Slutsky insists it will not hand his team a distinct advantage.

"I do not think it will help us to play on the artificial field," he said.

"Judging from the Russia national team's games on the pitch and the manner in which the Russian teams have played in Europe, I do not think there are big differences."