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LIVERPOOL - Coach Jose Mourinho pointed the finger at a season of injuries after Chelsea's hopes of Champions League glory and a historic Quadruple were ended by Liverpool.
Liverpool's 4-1 victory in a penalty shootout at Anfield on Wednesday put the hosts into the final in Athens and
added to Chelsea's woes after their Premier League title hopes seemed to have been dashed by last week's draw with Bolton Wanderers.
Chelsea, who won the League Cup in February and face champions-elect Manchester United in the FA Cup final on May 19, had been bidding for honours on all four fronts.
Mourinho did not view their mixed success, which he put down in large part to absences, as a reason to build a bigger squad for 2007-08.
"Our intention is to keep a big percentage of the players, to make two or three changes which is always normal in a club like ours," he told reporters.
"The Quadruple is a difficult thing to achieve, when you start the season you don't chase a Quadruple, you just chase the best you can do in every competition. I don't think we need a bigger squad.
"I cannot believe next season we will have 20 injuries, I cannot believe we will start with surgeries on the first day of the season and end with surgeries on the last day of the season.
"It was an incredibly negative season in terms of big injuries, not small ones. In that situation the team was magnificent, I couldn't be prouder of them."
Chelsea notably lost winger Joe Cole for much of the campaign while goalkeeper Petr Cech and captain John Terry also had long spells out.
Mourinho pointed out Chelsea were also missing two of their penalty-takers on Tuesday, with Michael Ballack out after ankle surgery and Andriy Shevchenko missing with a groin problem.
Central defender Ricardo Carvalho was also sidelined and winger Arjen Robben came on despite not being fully match fit after injury.
Mourinho mounted a spirited defence of his team's performance saying Chelsea, who won the first leg 1-0 before losing by the same margin after extra time on Merseyside, deserved to be in the final on May 23.
"Chelsea were the best team in the first leg and should have won 2-0 or 3-0, Chelsea were the best team tonight, Chelsea were the best team in extra time," he said.
Mourinho, who has had a verbal spat with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez in recent weeks, could not wish the Spaniard's side good fortune in Athens.
"I don't wish them luck for the final because they play against another opponent and I respect that opponent," said the Portuguese coach.
Asked what Benitez has that he lacks after steering Liverpool to two Champions League finals in three years, Mourinho replied: "What we have that they don't have?, we have two Premierships in the last three years and they have none."
- REUTERS