Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that he does not have any "problems" with his players, specifically John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic.
Questions have been raised over Mourinho's relationship with Terry after the captain was left out of the side that sealed a 4-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The centre-back, who played every single league game last season, was also substituted at half time of Chelsea's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last month.
Ivanovic has also come under criticism this season, with reports claiming that the club will wait until the New Year to decide whether to extend his and Terry's contracts.
However, Mourinho has given his backing to both players ahead of this weekend's clash against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
"Last season he played every minute, before that he didn't," Mourinho told reporters in this afternoon's press conference. "He's a player of my total confidence. I trust him always and he's one of my men. Just because he's on the bench one game or I take him off he's still one of my men.
"You don't see me being critical of [Ivanovic]. So I don't think it is a question for me because I am not making an individual analysis or trying to isolate individual players from the context."
The defending Premier League champions have secured victory just once in five domestic games this season.
Danielle Joynson
