Jose Mourinho axes four key Chelsea players ahead of opening Champions League match

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho axes four key players ahead of Champions League tie with Maccabi Tel Aviv

JOSE MOURINHO has axed four of his star players for struggling Chelsea's opening Champions League clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight.

 

Skipper John Terry will miss out but also rested are key striker Diego Costa, defender Branislav Ivanovic and midfielder Nemanja Matic, as Mourinho makes ruthless changes to try to alter his sides' fortunes after they endured their worst start to a season for 29 years.

But the Chelsea manager, whose side have won only one of their opening five league games this season and lie only one place above the relegation zone, is making the changes with one eye on the Premier League clash with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. 

 

Ivanovic and Costa have both been miserably off form and it is no surprise that the Serb in particular has been rested, with new £8million Ghanian full-back Baba Rahman set to be handed his debut.

"I know people will say if I leave out a player it's because I have a problem with him," said Mourinho. "But I cannot be worried about what people say. I will make a couple of changes because I have to try a different dynamic, a couple of different faces."

Brazilian midfielder Oscar will make only his second start and Loic Remy also comes in, with Radamel Falcao and Pedro both injured.