Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari expects a backlash from Portsmouth in tonight's Carling Cup tie.

Pompey are coming off a 6-0 thrashing at Manchester City and Scolari said: "To expect a reaction from Portsmouth is normal. Managers always want a reaction after they lose some games and this game was a disaster for Portsmouth.

"It is not normal and Portsmouth last season won the FA Cup, they are a very good team, they have big players.

"The players want to show the coach, the people that this was one day, a different day in their life."

Scolari is talking up every competition as being important and Chelsea have reached the last three League Cup Finals, losing last year to Spurs.

The Brazilian told Chelsea TV: "If I had all the players free for this game, I put all the players to play.

"As far as the injuries are concerned with Deco the doctors say to me it is minimum of two weeks. And Ricardo is three or four weeks.

"We replace with other players and I say every time it is not a problem for us because I have other players that I believe in."