John Obi Mikel has told ESPN FC that he will consider his future in January after Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr claimed his lack of playing time at Chelsea this season was punishment for participating at the Olympic Games in the summer.
Mikel, 29, who has been at Chelsea since 2006, has yet to make an appearance for the Premier League club under Antonio Conte this season.
The Nigeria international represented his country at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and Rohr believes it was this decision that has led to him being sidelined at Stamford Bridge.
"He is being punished for deciding to go to the Olympics for Nigeria," Rohr told ESPN FC, adding that as long as Mikel continued to give his all in training, he would field him for Nigeria. "He is training well and doing well for us. I cannot punish him for deciding to make a sacrifice for Nigeria."
Mikel, who is with the Nigeria squad for this weekend's World Cup qualifier against Algeria, told ESPN FC he will make a decision on his Chelsea future in January.
"We will wait and see what happens in January," he said. "For the first time in my career, this is happening to me and I have to stand up and deal with it. It is what it is but I'm training hard every day and I always wish the team the best and I am happy we are doing well.
"I've been at Chelsea a long time. Managers come and go, players come and go. I've been at Chelsea a long time and these things happen in football. So we will have to make that decision when January comes."