Maniche insists history will count for nothing when Portugal try to knock out Holland on Sunday.

The Dutch have an enviable record against most nations and, although they have yet to win the World Cup, have played in two finals.

But their record against Portugal is especially poor, with a 2-1 defeat in the Euro 2004 semi-finals the most recent instalment in a seven-game win-less run.

Maniche, who spent the last half of last season on loan at Chelsea, scored the goal which turned out to be the winner on that occasion.

But the midfielder was also aware that only a handful of players from that beaten Holland side have been selected for the current competition by new coach Marco van Basten.

He said: "We have been talking about our record against Holland and it is true that statistics are good for Portugal but it is a totally different team now and it is also the first time we have played them in the World Cup.

"It is a different Holland to the one we played in Euro 2004 but we hope that by the end of the match to have added to those statistics."

If they do come out on top in Nuremberg on Sunday it is likely they will take on another nation they conquered in that tournament - England, who play Ecuador in Stuttgart earlier that day.

The Holland game will also see Maniche, who scored in the 2-1 group-winning victory over Mexico, come up against former Stamford Bridge team-mate Arjen Robben, who has already been on the score-sheet in the competition, against Serbia and Montenegro.

He said: "I was glad to have played with Robben at Chelsea. He is not only a good player but a good friend. But Holland are not only Robben. We have to worry about other players as well.

"Holland have strikers who are better than any we have faced in the competition so far."

Ruud van Nistelrooy is the most famous man to match that description and Maniche was certainly expecting the Manchester United man to play despite hints from Van Basten that he might be dropped for Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt.

Maniche, who was on loan at Chelsea from Dinamo Moscow, also clarified his own club situation, confirming he would not be returning to Stamford Bridge because Blues boss Jose Mourinho had decided not to take up an option to buy from the Russian club.

A move elsewhere could soon be on the cards however, with other Premiership clubs and the big three in Portugal sure to have been alerted.

He said: "For me, Chelsea is part of my past. Now I am only going to think about my future after the World Cup."