Mourinho aims to play Terry against Spurs in FA Cup

COBHAM, England, Mar 9 (Reuters) Jose Mourinho will play the commanding figure of captain John Terry at the heart of his defence in the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday if he gets the final go-ahead from doctors.

England captain Terry completed a second day of training today and he and his manager are eager for him to start the quarter-final, two weeks after he was knocked out during Chelsea's League Cup final victory over Spurs' north London rivals Arsenal.

Chelsea, who were drawn against Valencia today in the Champions League quarter-finals, are still in the running for three more trophies and Terry is pivotal to their success.

''He is training normally. He is doing everything like everyone else. He is heading the ball, so if it is my choice I would say yes he will play,'' Mourinho told a news conference at Chelsea's training ground.

''But ...I have to wait for a final report from the medical side and they will make that decision.'' The Portuguese coach was keener to talk about the imminent match against Tottenham than about April's clash with Valencia, but he did describe them as a ''very good Spanish team''.

''When you get to the last eight of any competition there are no easy games...It's just a question of the culture and style of the teams left,'' he said.

''We are looking forward to it but it's in a month and in a month anything can happen,'' he said.

CROWDED SCHEDULE Chelsea, who are also chasing Manchester United in the Premier League, have a crowded schedule and will lose most of their squad in March for international duty.

''We have two internationals in between. I will be on my own praying for my players to come home safe,'' he said.

Chelsea have suffered a spate of injuries to top players this season with goalkeeper Petr Cech out for three months with a head injury, winger Joe Cole sidelined most of the season with a fractured foot and Terry suffering back, ankle and now head injuries.

Some teams in the knockout competitions had an advantage in that they were battling on only one front, Mourinho said.

''Because I also have chances in the Premiership I have to play my best team (every game),'' he said.

''But I prefer to be doing that than to be already on my holidays,'' he added.

Mourinho said he and the players would not take the Spurs game lightly. They wanted to win the FA Cup because it was the only domestic trophy the group had not won since he arrived in 2004 and because it was likely to return to Wembley.

The twice Premier League champions won the last FA Cup staged at Wembley in 2000 before the stadium was demolished and rebuilt.

''I think they want to say 'we have won everything in English football','' he said.

Mourinho had watched Tottenham's 3-2 UEFA Cup win at Braga and said: ''they are not a good team, they are a very, very good team.

They are living a good moment and scoring lots of goals...defensively we will have to play well.'' REUTERS DH KN2113