Jose Mourinho: 'Samuel Eto'o needs time'

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has called for patience while striker Samuel Eto'o continues to try to adapt to the pace of English football.

Eto'o has not scored in his opening four appearances for the club, but Mourinho has insisted that the Cameroonian needs time to recapture his sharpness.

The 50-year-old told The Mirror: "When we signed Samuel, I said that I know the player, I know the professional. But what happened in Russia in the last two seasons, I didn't know.

"Normally when a top player goes to Russia, to Anzhi, the pressure goes down, the motivation and physical condition and sharpness goes down. Now he's back in top European football and needs a bit of time to find that sharpness.

"He's playing a lot. He played 80 minutes this week and he is getting his form and an understanding of where he is. Even for a player like Samuel, the Premier League is a different picture. So give him a little bit of time."

The former Barcelona striker is expected to feature against Norwich City on Sunday after Fernando Torres was ruled out for three weeks with a knee injury.