Liam Rosenior stresses 'Chelsea unity' ahead of PSG clash

Rosenior's squad made headlines on Saturday when referee Paul Tierney found himself caught in the middle of Chelsea's centre-circle huddle before their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle. The ritual, now a regular pre-match feature, has drawn criticism from some pundits who see it as disrespectful to opponents.

Speaking on Monday, Rosenior defended the practice but did not confirm if it would be repeated against PSG at Stamford Bridge.

"I think it's been blown out of proportion. It's a small thing among many serious things that we need to address, such as the massive game against PSG," he said. "The lads have always wanted to show unity and togetherness. But what we don't want is to antagonise or bring more noise on ourselves.

"We'll make the decision on where we do that on the pitch tomorrow."

Rosenior also plans to meet with the referees' organisation PGMOL this week to discuss recent decisions that have gone against his team.

"The huddle was something the players wanted to show unity. They're a good group. We never wanted to antagonise anyone or create noise," he added. "We have a huge game against PSG tomorrow.

"We have an opportunity to do something really special. We know we need to be perfect. I'd rather focus on that."

Chelsea face further selection challenges, with defender Reece James set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury against Newcastle.

James, who signed a new six-year contract on Friday, could miss several weeks, starting with the PSG tie. Malo Gusto may also be unavailable due to illness.

"Reece felt something in his hamstring at the end of the game," Rosenior said. "It could be weeks with a hamstring injury; it's never great. Hopefully, we can get him scanned and find out the full extent. We know what an important leader he is in the group. He's our captain."