• Premier League

Mourinho: Zouma's Chelsea future still at centre-back

ESPN staff
March 3, 2015
Hislop: Chelsea sit back against top teams

Jose Mourinho says Kurt Zouma's long-term future lies at centre-back despite the 20-year-old starting in midfield for Chelsea in the League Cup final victory over Tottenham.

"Crazy" Chelsea curbed Wembley celebrations

Jose Mourinho enjoyed Sunday's triumph © Getty Images
  • Jose Mourinho says Chelsea curbed their League Cup celebrations after their "crazy" antics on the pitch at Wembley, with attentions turning immediately to their game against West Ham.
  • "I did everything that you saw and, after that, nothing. Bus. Home. Dinner at home. Next day training. Yes [a glass of Champagne with my wife]. Nothing more than that. Crazy on the pitch.
  • "Maybe [the players] went out with some family for dinner, but I don't think they did any crazy things because, the next day, I saw them in very good condition. They'll have Thursday and Friday off, and I told them those are the best moments if they want to do something that people at their age sometimes like to do. But they enjoyed it so much after the game on the pitch and in the dressing room, but even on the bus going back to Stamford Bridge was a normal journey."

Nemanja Matic's suspension saw Mourinho deploy Zouma as a stop-gap solution in front of the back four at Wembley, with the Frenchman impressing in the role as Chelsea ran out 2-0 winners.

"He is not a midfield player," said Mourinho. "He is not going to be a midfielder. That is completely clear. It's not his future.

"But the team is better when you know the qualities of everybody, when you know everybody can be extra in some details, and if Zouma couldn't do that for us on that day, we would have been in trouble.

"We didn't have Matic and [John Obi] Mikel in a final where it was important to keep the balance of the team. We needed someone to do that job. We worked on it during the week and felt his confidence.

"That was important, knowing he was confident enough to play in that role.

"I don't like asking players to do things they're not ready to do, especially in a final where you have enough pressure and don't need the extra pressure playing somewhere you are not comfortable.

"But he showed that confidence in the week. He did very well, but it's not his future at Chelsea to play in that position."

Zouma could be set for more opportunities in midfield, with Mikel still expected to be out injured for another four weeks after having surgery on his meniscus.

Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma are competing to play alongside John Terry © Getty Images
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