REALISTIC boss Steve McClaren was gracious in defeat last night after Premiership leaders Chelsea brushed Middlesbrough aside but maintained a Champions League place is still up for grabs.

Chelsea's 2-0 victory, assured courtesy of Didier Drogba's first half double, meant that Boro remain in sixth place - two points adrift of fifth place Liverpool and eight below Everton.

Middlesbrough, struggling with a series of injuries to key players, have lost three of their last four matches but their next league fixture is when Everton arrive at the Riverside a week on Sunday.

And McClaren believes, providing a few players return from the treatment table and he can bolster his squad in the transfer window, that his team are good enough to claim that final Champions League spot come May.

"Our season begins now. We have got over this tough spell and we have got a better run of games coming up," said McClaren, whose side travel to Notts County in the FA Cup on Saturday.

"Hopefully, by the Everton game, we will have quite a few players back and nobody will beat us on attitude. We are in sixth position but it is still all to play for and that fourth position is up for grabs.

"Chelsea are formidable but all we are concerned about is our own form and I couldn't fault my players' performances.

"This was always going to be a hard place to come to but as the fourth game in ten days we have had it was going to be even harder.

"We have had a 38-year-old centre-back (Colin Cooper) playing in all those games, Gareth Southgate playing with a knock and other players have had to play all the games, while other teams are rotating their sides.

"But credit to the players because they could have folded after being two down in 17 minutes."

On Chelsea's title chances, he added: "Chelsea have a phenomenal squad and they have got every chance, but their key players are staying fit. That's the key. If they get injured then who knows."

* An injury-time winner from Leon Osman got Everton back on track for a Champions League berth after suffering two painful defeats over the holiday period.

It looked like the wheels were starting to come off David Moyes' bandwagon but deep into the two minutes of added time, Osman spun in the box and hooked the winner high into the net.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.