Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata has admitted that the Blues have struggled to adapt to life without Didier Drogba this season.
Drogba ended an eight-year association with Chelsea for a move to China after winning the Champions League with his last kick for the club.
Mata has hailed Drogba as a "warrior" and believes that the shift in focus to accommodate Fernando Torres has been tough to implement.
He told French football magazine So Foot: "Drogba's departure was like an electric shock for us. He was a warrior.
"We've had to learn to cope without him because for many long years he was Chelsea's lightning conductor. With Drogba we were conditioned to play in a certain way. You gave him the ball and you knew that he would at least force the opponent into a foul.
"All the great players like getting the ball, Didier even more so. With Fernando it's different. His runs aren't the same. He's not a funnel for our play like Drogba could be."
The Blues have endured a turbulent past month, replacing manager Roberto Di Matteo with Rafael Benitez before crashing out of the Champions League in the group stages.
Liam Power
