The Chelsea boss made it clear that skipper Terry is not a certain starter for the European champions.
Di Matteo left Terry, 31, on the bench against Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek even though the defender was available.
He said: “Terry is a fantastic player, will continue to be so and is our captain and our leader. But nobody is guaranteed a starting place. They all have to work and fight for a place in the team.”
Terry has been untouchable at Chelsea for a decade and always started key games when available, sometimes even when not fully fit. But Di Matteo hinted he might have to get used to life on the bench.
Gary Cahill and David Luiz started at centreback in Wednesday’s 3-2 Champions League win over Shakhtar, while Branislav Ivanovic is also an option for Di Matteo.
He said: “He’s a fantastic player, a great defender and I am very pleased his ban is over.
“We have a lot of competition, all internationals, England or Serb or Brazilian internationals. They all have a lot of quality.
“We play every three or four days, so it’s tough for everyone. While we have the option to change, it is wise to do so or we will hit the wall.”
Asked if Terry will play against Liverpool tomorrow, Di Matteo only said: “He is going to be available for sure, and he is going to be in a good position to be involved.”
Chelsea’s financial figures for the last year revealed they have made a £1.4m profit, the first time they have been in the black under Roman Abramovich.
The Champions League win and a £28.8m profit in the transfer market, not including the summer signings of Eden Hazard (£32m), Oscar (£25m) and Victor Moses (£10m), helped them turn last year’s £67.7m loss into a profit.
The Blues are also debt-free after billionaire owner Abramovich agreed to write off £166m he ploughed into Chelsea to help run the club.
Source: DailyStar
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