After being eliminated from the League Cup in a penalty shoot-out against Blackburn Rovers, and then slumping to defeat versus nouveau-riche Premier League rivals Manchester City, John Obi Mikel has claimed that Chelsea must bounce back against APOEL Nicosia despite having already secured their passage to the knock-out stage of the Champions League.

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"We have lost the last two which is not good," Mikel explained to the club's official website. "The manager made it clear on Monday that it's not good to lose two games in a row so yes, no matter which team is put out, he doesn't want us to lose, even if the game is meaningless."

Chelsea will qualify top of their group regardless, having collected maximum points in four of their previous five Champions League encounters. The Blues have accumulated 13 points from a possible 15.

Despite manager Carlo Ancelotti's demand for a positive reaction on Tuesday evening to their two recent set-backs, the Italian coach is likely to field a younger, relatively inexperienced side, with Gael Kakuta possibly supplementing a number of other fringe players.

"I think they just have to be themselves, not try to do too much but play the way they have been doing in training," said Mikel, who himself knows first-hand the pressures of representing a European powerhouse at a green age.

"They'll be fine, they don't need to impress anyone, just do what they do because that's why the manager has selected them to play. My only advice is to do what they do in training."

Alan Dawson, Goal.com UK