London - Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will persist with struggling midfield trio Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic and Oscar as he refuses to shuffle his squad so late in the season.
Mourinho defended his three midfielders following criticism for a dip in form.
‘For me football is not just mathematics,’ Mourinho said. ‘When some people write that Fabregas drops his level because the number of assists are not the same, the number of assists are probably not the same because the player that he assists does not score.’
Asked whether Oscar is struggling, as he was substituted at half-time against Stoke City, Mourinho said: ‘No, I don’t think he had a bad performance, I just think he was not good enough, which is a huge difference.
‘Matic, he was suspended, and after the suspension he was injured celebrating in the final, so he went back and he was not in the best condition.
‘I always think stability is very important in a team, and it’s not in April that you are going to make important changes.’
Fabregas put a picture of the latest injury to his nose on Instagram, saying: ‘At least I might be able to get my nose fixed after all.’
Daily Mail