Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has dedicated the Blues' Carling Cup victory over Everton to absentee captain John Terry.
The England skipper, who is embroiled in an alleged racism row with Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand, was left out of the Chelsea side that defeated Everton 2-1 in extra time at Goodison Park in the Carling Cup last night.
Despite the defender currently being under investigation by the Football Association over racism accusations, the former Porto boss has lent his support to the 30-year-old.
"The spirit of the players took us through," Villas-Boas told Sky Sports News. "I think all of the players would like to dedicate the win to John Terry.
"We deserved it for what we put on as an effort and for the football we played. To be fair, I think we had the worst of the draws.
"It was a difficult game to play, Everton would like to challenge for silverware and the commitment they had to this competition made them a strong team."
The Premier League side will discover who they will face in the Carling Cup quarter-final in the draw on Saturday.
