Chelsea has been ice-cool in its pursuit of a third consecutive Premiership title, but a meeting scheduled for yesterday with Reading at Stamford Bridge was likely to test their temperament.
Jose Mourinho's team is still counting the cost of their last encounter with the Royals in October, when both of the Londoners' top goalkeepers -- Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini -- were sent to the hospital. Cech clashed with Stephen Hunt while Cudicini tangled with Ibrahima Sonko.
Cech has not played since after fracturing his skull in the collision with Hunt and Mourinho angrily accused the Irishman of deliberately attempting to hurt the Czech.
The repercussions from the October match are still rumbling.
A police investigation into a series of death threats sent to Hunt and Sonko, apparently made by disgruntled Chelsea supporters, is still ongoing, while Mourinho has refused to retract his criticism of both the former Crystal Palace winger and the standard of health care at Madejski Stadium, which he felt endangered his players' lives.
Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, has no intention of resting the duo for the trip to west London, despite the possibility they will be targeted by the home supporters.
Hunt is expecting a reaction.
"People have singled me out for little things that normally people wouldn't make a fuss over," he said. "I don't know why they do it and I wish everyone would just let me get on with playing," he said.
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