Revealed: Why Guus Hiddink must ditch Chelsea star

NEMANJA MATIC seems to be Chelsea's cursed player - if recent statistics are anything to go by.

 

Nemanja Matic has been the albatross around Chelsea's neck this season

 

The Serbia international was the lynchpin of last season's title-winning side, with pundits lauding the 27-year-old's return to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues had the best defensive record in the Premier League in the 2014/15 campaign and Matic was largely credited for providing solidity to the team.

 

However, this season's stats show Chelsea are much worse off when he plays, winning only three games out of the 21 he's started.

And if that's not damning enough, when the defensive midfielder has come on as a substitute the Blues have lost eight points from winning positions.

 

Chelsea have won only 3/21 games with Nemanja Matic in the starting 11 and have lost 8 points from winning positions after he has come on.

— Uber Chelsea FC (@UberCheIseaFC) January 13, 2016

And things have got worse for Matic, with new boss Guus Hiddink bringing much-maligned midfielder John Obi Mikel back into the fold.

The 28-year-old has started the last five Premier League games, keeping clean sheets against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

 

And Hiddink has revealed the Nigeria international is very much part of his plans for the rest of the season.

"He's the ideal player in my opinion to bring balance to the team - I think John Obi can be one of the key figures," he said.