Chelsea six snub Tel Aviv trip

Gudjohnsen is among the Chelsea stars staying in London

Chelsea will travel to Israel for Thursday's Uefa Cup tie with Hapoel Tel Aviv without six first-team players.

Skipper Marcel Desailly, Emmanuel Petit, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Graeme Le Saux, William Gallas, and Albert Ferrer have all taken up the option of missing the trip.

Colin Hutchinson, Chelsea's managing director, said: "We gave the players the choice and we respect the decision they have taken.

We have an obligation that if we want to continue in this competition we have to play this match

Chelsea managing director Colin Hutchinson

"We have not forced any player to go and we are now looking forward to the match.

"Uefa insisted that the game must go ahead and wrote to us as recently as Saturday with their instructions.

"We understand the concern of the players but we have an obligation that if we want to continue in this competition we have to play this match."

Chelsea had always insisted they would field a team to ensure they were not thrown out of the competition.

But Hutchison was keen to respect the wishes of the senior players, who had a meeting following Saturday's game against Leicester at Stamford Bridge.

"We are not disappointed at the choice made by these individual players and no disciplinary action will be taken against them.

"We tried to explain to them that the West Bank and Gaza Strip were a different world from where we were going but some people were under pressure from their families.

Hutchinson respects the players' views

"We are delighted so many players have responded and we are taking a pretty strong team having drafted in some youngsters."

Hutchinson believes it would have set a bad precedent had Chelsea pulled out of the trip.

He said: "If we had pulled out then not only would it have resulted in a ban but it would also have sent a bad message to European football and started the fragmentation of European football.

"If we'd have refused to got to Israel then some clubs may in the future have refused to go to places like Russia or Turkey and that would not have been good."

"Good players"

Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri, who was forced to rethink his team selection following the news, remained upbeat.

Ranieri said: "I understand these players' fears but I am a positive man and Chelsea have some good players, so we are sure to go there with a good team and have a good game.

"The players who have remained behind can now work hard for the Leeds game (on Sunday) in case I want make some changes.

"I like the young players who have come on this trip and this may be an opportunity for some new faces."