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Chelsea's Rafa Benitez is focused on task at hand
CHELSEA boss Rafa Benitez wants his side to finish a topsy-turvy campaign on a positive note.
The Blues' season has been tumultuous, with recent reports suggesting Benitez had a heated exchange in training with John Terry.
They take on Middlesbrough tonight in an FA Cup fifth-round clash, but fixture congestion is taking its toll as this is already Chelsea's 47th game of the season.
More worryingly, they have won just six of their 15 games in all competitions this year.
But Benitez has asked his players to maintain their professionalism right until the end of the season.
He said: "You are professional and you know, more or less, how things are going here in terms of what happens if you lose or win, but I have to do my job, which is to beat Middlesbrough tomorrow.
"I will be working hard until the end.
"Me and my staff have been working really hard at 100 per cent to get the right balance and right team on the pitch.
"The players know how hard we are working, that is the main thing.
"They are clever enough and realise they will be here with long contracts, so they have to perform and be ready if they want to stay at the maximum level, for example, in the Champions League."
Benitez could renew his rivalry with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the quarter-final if they get past Boro.