Jose Mourinho insists that the lack of World Cup holiday for Chelsea’s Brazil stars have stopped them from performing thus far in the Premier League.
The Blues have started the season well and maintained an unbeaten start in the league, developing a three-point lead over their nearest rivals after beating Aston Villa on Saturday.
The game against Paul Lambert’s Villa saw both Oscar and Willian score the goals, but Mourinho insists that both are still yet to find their best form and bemoaned their lack of holiday following the World Cup this summer.
“[Willian] didn’t start the season well,” the Chelsea boss told reporters. “I think everyone that came from the Brazil national team without a proper holiday and without a proper pre-season, not one of them had enough time in the pre-season to start the season in a very strong way.
“All of them are coming step by step. Oscar is the same. Now they are getting into the intensity of the game.
“It is physical. Players need holidays, but they don’t always have them. They need a proper pre-season, but they don’t have a proper pre-season.
“I think players are getting in trouble and when I anticipate the next pre-season it will be even worse, because there will be international matches, where every players has to go with his national team. After that they are going to have maybe two weeks pre-season.”