LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea will have to rely on third-choice goalkeeper Hilario to keep their Premier League title hopes alive when they host Wigan at Stamford Bridge on Monday.

The Portuguese keeper is close to both first choice Petr Cech and regular stand-in Carlo Cudicini and is uncomfortable that his chance to shine has only arisen due to their injury woes.

But the 32-year-old insists he is relishing the challenge of first-team action and is confident he won't let the Blues down at this crucial late stage of the season as they try to wrest the title back from league leaders Manchester United.

Hilario is something of a lucky talisman for Chelsea: he has made 24 Blues appearances, winning 17 games and losing once.

"It is a good record, but I think it is important to put the team first in this place, and worry about my performance after that," he said. "If the team wins and my performance is good I am really happy.

"It's not very easy when you have these kind of opportunities. It is good when you play but you have a bad feeling that it is your friend and you are playing instead of him. It's not so nice.

"It is really hard when you spend almost a year without playing, but I have experience and to play now is my reward.

"When I am not in the team I still have motivation because I play for Chelsea, and that is the biggest motivation for anyone."

Czech Republic goalkeeper Cech suffered a training ground collision which left him needing 50 stitches in a facial injury last week.

And Hilario was thrown on during Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Fenerbahce in the Champions League when Italian keeper Cudicini sustained a hamstring injury.

"On more than one occasion he's come into a very awkward situation and rescued the club," the Blues' club doctor Bryan English told Chelsea's television station.

"He's a very calm customer so you know if we ever do need him he's not going to flap or be in awe of the situation. He's always going to do well for us." Cech is expected to be fit in a fortnight's time.

"Where Petr had his cut, from his lip going down towards his jaw, it was in a vulnerable area and you also have to think from an aesthetic point of view," English explained.

"If that wound doesn't heal well or it broke down again you could end up with a more ugly looking scar and Petr has to look at that scar for the rest of his life."

Victory and another three points for the Blues would keep up the pressure on Manchester United ahead of the crucial clash between the two sides at Stamford Bridge on April 26.

Wigan, for their part, have registered just one away win all season, have never won at Stamford Bridge and lost 4-0 on their last visit.

The Latics were in the bottom three when Steve Bruce took over as manager in November, but have since crawled away from the relegation zone and increased their chances of ensuring a fourth season in the Premier League with five consecutive home clean sheets.

Indeed, the last visiting team to score at their JJB Stadium was Chelsea, who won 2-1 in the FA Cup on January 26. Despite the creep up the table, Bruce is refusing to rest on his laurels.

"We are not safe yet, and another two victories at home -- clean sheets would be even nicer! -- would see us safely over the finishing line," he said.

"We need to carry on that form into the game at Chelsea on Monday, but perhaps more importantly against Tottenham next weekend and then Reading the following week.

"All credit must go to the players who have responded magnificently to the challenge in front of them and now I want them to make one more big effort to ensure our survival in the Premier League."