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Feb 7, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
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Live Coverage: Jose Mourinho's weekly Chelsea press conference

Follow Sports Mole's live coverage of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's pre-match press conference ahead of his side's match against Aston Villa.
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Jose Mourinho has revealed that Juan Cuadrado could make his debut in Chelsea's Premier League match against Aston Villa this weekend.

The Colombian joined the league leaders on transfer deadline day following the departure of Andre Schurrle.

Mourinho also revealed that Filipe Luis and Diego Costa are the only members of his squad that are unable to play this weekend.

Read what else the manager discussed below.


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Good afternoon! Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will be speaking to the media shortly as he prepares his side for a trip to Villa Park in the Premier League this weekend.

Last weekend's draw with Manchester City has kept Chelsea five points clear of the defending champions at the top of the table ahead of their match against a side that have not scored in their last six league outings.

Mourinho has new boy Juan Cuadrado available this weekend. The Colombian arrived at Stamford Bridge following Andre Schurrle's deadline day move to the Bundesliga:


It's a busy month for the Blues. After this weekend, they host Everton midweek before returning to action in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain. They also host Burnley before meeting Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final at the start of March.

Don't forget, we'll have live coverage of this match and every other Premier League taking place this weekend from an hour before kickoff as well as team news, post-match quotes and player ratings.

Here's the manager, so let's see what he has to say today...

First up, it's a question about Juan Cuadrado. He's asked how excited he is about the Colombian, and he simply replies: "Normal", before adding: "He needs his time, as with everyone, and he'll have his time. It's not a panic buy, it's a reaction to Schurrle. We are happy with our business. Schurrle is a player we like very much but the business was good and we are very happy with it."

Mourinho insists that he is happy with Schurrle's time at Chelsea: "We are happy with what he gave us, we are happy with the profits we did in this transfer window and hopefully we made him a better player and hopefully he can have success in the future because we like him very much."

Mourinho is asked if he considers his side favourites to beat Villa. He replies: "I don't have to speak about Aston Villa and about Aston Villa's numbers. After so many years in football, I clearly know that there are some matches you cannot win."

On the Premier League title race, Mourinho says: "That is not my problem, we are one of the contenders."

Mourinho reveals that he has an almost fully-fit squad for the trip: "Filipe [Luis] is injured, and the player who's suspended is suspended. Everybody [else] is fit"

Mourinho reveals that Cuadrado could debut this weekend: "I think he can unless the Premier League or the FA say that there is some rule that stops him."

Asked about the team's defeat at Villa last year, a surly Mourinho says: "I don't have to speak about it."

Mourinho is asked whether he is happy, given the shortness of some of his answers today, but he insists: "I'm enjoying my work with my players. When I like my players, when I like my squad, I'm much more happy, more motivated to work, and this is the case. You know why I'm here, so you cannot expect that I'm happy to be here."

Asked again about Cuadrado's readiness, he says: "He trains just two days, the business was almost last minute on the Monday, he had to go to Paris for visas and a legal situation on Tuesday."

Mourinho is asked why he didn't speak to the media last weekend, he says: "You could make a silence very noisy. You know the reason for my silence. If I was a journalist I could make some silence, I could make a lot of words. I don't reflect, because maybe I'm punished to reflect, so I don't think about it, because maybe they can read my reflection."

Mourinho admits that the team's lead should be bigger: "I feel the distance could be much bigger, because, if I analysed the last five, six, seven matches, we could, we should have a bigger difference."

Mourinho is asked about his experience working with Kurt Zouma and Rafael Varane by a French journalist, and responds: "I think the French federation should write me a letter to thank me, because they have the two best young defenders in the world. Can you imagine what Zouma and Varane can represent in football in a couple of years. I think Didier must be very happy with that."

Mourinho insists that he is not yet thinking about Chelsea's Champions League match against PSG: "I have to prepare Aston Villa and I have to prepare Everton. After that I will prepare Paris."

And that's it from Mourinho this week. There were some rather short answers from the manager, who is clearly still smarting from the FA's decision to suspend Diego Costa, but he seems very happy with his deadline day signing of Juan Cuadrado. So, join us again tomorrow to see if the Colombian makes his debut, and whether Chelsea can extend their lead at the top of the table. Until then, thanks for joining me this afternoon. Goodbye.

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Jose Mourinho manager of Chelsea looks on during the Capital One Cup Fourth Round match between Shrewsbury Town and Chelsea at Greenhous Meadow on October 28, 2014
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