The five players discarded by Jose Mourinho who should still be in the Chelsea team



Romelu Lukaku was sold by Jose Mourinho after not given a real chance in the first team



CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho insists he won't dip into the market in the January transfer window despite his side's struggles this season.

 

The futures of a number of players have been thrown into doubt, with the likes of Eden Hazard reported to be unsettled and Diego Costa suffering a drastic dip in form.

And while they languish in 16th in the Premier league table, a number of former players are now flourishing elsewhere.

Their struggles got us thinking about some players who should still be at the club.

Here, Express Sport brings you the five Mourinho should never have let go.

 

Romelu Lukaku

Costa's struggles this season only serve to highlight even further what the Blues are missing. Now one of the country's most feared strikers, Lukaku has been a star for Everton since moving to Merseyside in a £28million deal in 2013.

The 22-year-old is poised to become one of the youngest players to reach 50 Premier League goals when the Toffees face Aston Villa on Saturday, and has seven league strikes this season compared with Costa's two.

 

Kevin De Bruyne

Accused of failing to perform on the big stage in the past by Mourinho, the Belgian has shown no signs of that for Manchester City this season.

They paid a club record £54m to sign him from Wolfsburg in the summer, just one year after Chelsea let him move to Germany on a permanent basis.

He played just three Premier League games for the Blues during two years - one of which was spent out on loan.

 



Juan Mata has become a key figure for Manchester United since leaving Chelsea



Juan Mata

Another enjoying his time at a direct Premier League rival, Mata is now a key cog in the Manchester United wheel.

The defensive side of his game was called into question before he was shipped out to Old Trafford.

But Chelsea look bereft of creativity this season and could do with the Sapniard as a foil to their struggling strike force.

He has consistently chipped in with important goals for United and remains a firm favourite of Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal.

 

Petr Cech

Now at Arsenal, Cech had fallen behind Thibaut Courtois in the pecking order before moving to the Emirates.

But with Courtois out injured, they are desperate for someone with experience in between the sticks.

Instead, the Gunners now look like the genuine title contenders with a proven stopper in what has always been a problem position for Arsene Wenger's team.

 



Ryan Bertrand's form for Southampton has been rewarded with England recognition



Ryan Bertrand

Both full-back positions have been a huge problem for Mourinho this season.

Branislav Ivanovic has failed to replicate his fine displays of last season, prompting Cesar Azpilicueta to move over to the right-hand side and new signing Baba Rahman to come in at left-back.

Rahman looked out of his depth in the recent defeat to Stoke, while Ryan Bertrand's form for Southampton this season has been so good the England national team have come calling.