Chelsea has been, by far, the best team in English first division this summer.

They are right on top and they deserve to be there. But, in the last couple of weeks, they haven’t seemed to be that clinical. Whether you talk about the game versus Manchester United or the game versus Rangers, they have been slightly under par.

Diego Costa’s injury is obviously one of the reasons behind that. He is a real force in that Chelsea squad and has been in instrumental form. So, his unavailability, all of a sudden, has disturbed their combination, but, it was always going to happen.

The amount of football Chelsea has been playing in the ongoing season, there would always be the danger of players missing a couple of games with niggles. So, it’s important for Jose Mourinho to manage the workload and keep the players fresh.

Currently, Chelsea’s midfield is heavily dependent on Fabregas and Matic. These two have been playing non-stop. But, they’ve got to be rested somewhere down the line to make sure they don’t get over exhausted.

Going into the business end of the league, Mourinho would not want these key guys to be sitting on the sidelines injured.

John Obi Mikel is somebody who can be given a bit of a go in the midfield. He might not be in the same class as Fabregas, but, he is a really handy player.

Mikel is completely forgotten right now. The fans are not talking about him at all and why would they when the two midfielders in charge are doing so well? But, Mourinho, being a wily customer, would certainly have Mikel at the back of his mind. Maybe, the Nigerian gets a look in during the Maribor game that is coming up.