Atletico boss Flores not running scared

Struggling Atletico Madrid face two of Europe's biggest clubs in the space of five days this week, but new coach Quique Sanchez Flores is relishing the prospect of locking horns with the European heavyweights.

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Quique Sanchez Flores can't wait to lock horns with Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Atletico host Premier League leaders Chelsea tomorrow knowing that anything other than a victory will likely end their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, while this weekend they host bitter rivals Real Madrid in La Liga.

For a team that finds itself in the relegation zone of La Liga after nine matches and bottom of Group D in Europe with only one point, Atletico could be forgiven for fearing the worst ahead of those two fixtures, but Sanchez Flores is thinking just the opposite.

"It's a good thing to have to play these two matches because the fans will have to come to the stadium and be very positive,'' said Sanchez Flores, who only took charge of the Rojiblancos last week following the dismissal of Abel Resino.

"Tomorrow, for instance, the fans will really have to be behind us to make it possible for us to win and that will be positive for the players and their mindset.

"From a psychological point of view it would be very important to win these next two games. First of all because it would give the team a lifeline in both competitions, but also because it would be good for the players.

"Chelsea is a match that we could win. We really have to think we can win it, because we have to be positive and we have to feel we can win it.''

Positive thinking is something that may not come easily to Atletico following a dismal start to the season both domestically and in Europe.

In La Liga they have recorded one win and fell into the bottom three of the standings following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao, while in the Champions League they have lost away to Chelsea (4-0) and Porto (2-0) and were held to a goalless draw at home by group minnows Apoel Nicosia of Cyprus.

With the prospect of making it through to the last 16 looking increasingly unlikely, Sanchez Flores was asked whether he might omit some of his key players tomorrow ahead of the league showdown with Real.

But while he admitted he may make some changes for the visit of Chelsea, he insisted it would not be because he wanted to give his players a rest.

"We are enthusiastic about every single match we play and if we do make any changes it isn't because they are being rested for Saturday's match but because we have more than 11 players who can play,'' he said.

"Atletico Madrid needs to have more than 11 players who are able to win a match. You cannot just leave everything in the hands of 11 players because that would be bad from a physical point of view.

"Maybe there will be some new faces tomorrow, but if there are any changes it will be to win the match and not for resting. I don't believe in the rotation of players just to rest them.''

Chelsea will be formidable opponents for Atletico are in scintillating form having scored 17 goals without reply in their last four matches.

When asked how difficult it would be for Atletico - who have the worst defensive record in La Liga - to keep a clean sheet tomorrow, Sanchez Flores said: "Chelsea have many virtues, but we have also solved some of our problems and we have been quite calm in the last match and a half.

"Chelsea are very strong and we have to be at 100% tomorrow if we want to win. But I think thanks to our fans we may be able to win.''