Football
Miguel Delaney 10y

Mourinho: No problems with Cech

LONDON -- Jose Mourinho says there is no problem with Petr Cech after the Chelsea coach dropped the goalkeeper in favour of Thibaut Courtois against Burnley last week, and hinted that he may rotate the pair this season.

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Cech, 32, has been at Stamford Bridge for the past 10 years but faces stiff competition from 22-year-old Courtois, who has starred on loan at Atletico Madrid since 2011 with Diego Simeone's side landing the Liga title last term.

Mourinho praised Czech Republic international Cech as a "top professional" and said there is no pressure to sell the shot-stopper, as he maintained it is easier to keep dropped players and justify decisions if the team is winning.

"[Cech is] working as always, behaving as always, being a group man as always, being a Chelsea person as always," Mourinho said. "Is he totally happy? I don't believe. But it's not [just] him -- it's everyone who didn't start the game.

"This period is hard for them, for me, because it's a period with one match per week. So the first three matches, they clearly feel that some are playing more and some don't.

"But September, Capital Cup, Premier League, Champions League, three matches a week, everyone playing, rotation, resting, decisions... that's an easier period for them and an easier period for me in the sense everyone feels much better.

"Now, in these first three matches, some are not playing and they feel more [bad]. But Petr's behaviour is fantastic, and that's important. If you win it's easier because victories bring happiness to everyone, not just those on the pitch.

"If you win, the week after a victory is a good week for everyone. As I was saying before, if you play one match a week, it's easier for the players to feel a first-option or second option, or if you've given priority to someone. If you play midweek matches, it's not the same.

"At that moment it becomes easier for me and them because they play. When you play in every competition, like here at Chelsea, and you want to compete in every competition, it's easier. This period is the most difficult."

Mourinho maintained there is no pressure on Chelsea to do more business this summer, saying the early signatures of players like Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Filipe Luis have ensured smooth preparation for the new campaign.

"We are very calm. My club did a fantastic job, as I keep saying, not just because they got what they need, but they did it in record time," he added. "The market for us was closed by July 31 instead of the end of August, so we're very calm. For us, it's counting down the clock we see in [Sky Sports News] all the time, but for us no tick-tock."

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