Graham Potter has been handed a major boost as he looks to kickstart his Chelsea reign having faced a disrupted start to his time in charge.
After seeing games against Fulham and Liverpool postponed, the Blues will finally be back in Premier League action this weekend. Ahead of the trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday, Potter has been granted precious extra time with some of his leading players.
The news comes as Thiago Silva spoke out against suggestions that he could soon retire and Chelsea legend Jose Mourinho reiterated his own plans for leaving the sport. Here, Mirror Football rounds up all the latest Chelsea news.
Potter's precious boost
Chelsea boss Graham Potter has been granted the opportunity to work with six of his leading players after they returned early to training. Those not called up for international duty were granted extra time off last week, despite the lack of recent games.
After that time off ended, the six players not playing for their country arrived back at the club's Cobham training ground on Monday. It could be a precious boost for Potter, who is working to implement his own style of play at Stamford Bridge.
The players have all returned before their team-mates, who will steadily return to the Blues over the coming days. They will hope to do enough to be handed a place in the starting line-up for the trip to Selhurst Park.
HAVE YOUR SAY! What should be Chelsea's starting line-up for their trip to Crystal Palace? Comment below.
Mourinho reveals retirement plan
Chelsea legend Jose Mourinho has reiterated his desire to retire from management for a "few more years". Mourinho won the Premier League title three times across his two spells in charge at the Blues.
He is now manager of Serie A side Roma, leading them to the Europa Conference League title last season. And he has insisted that he has enough motivation left to extend his 22-year career as a boss.
"These 22 years have passed quickly, but I want to continue. I feel good, I feel strong [and] motivated. I like winning, I hate losing - nothing has changed. The colour of my hair, yes, even the wrinkles," he told the 2022 Quinas de Ouro event.
Silva makes playing desire clear
Thiago Silva has played down any suggestion that he is ready to begin bringing the curtain down on his career. The Chelsea star turned 38 last week, but remains one of the first-choice centre-backs for the Blues.
He is hopeful of being handed a fresh contract extension by the Premier League side. And he has now insisted that he wants to play on well into his forties, having held talks with AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovich.
"It’s very important for me that I can play on this level at this age but it’s not easy, especially in the Premier League. When I finish training, I come back home and think about how I can repair myself for tomorrow. The intensity is high from the first minute to the last one so you have to be ready all the time," he said.
