Chelsea defender John Terry would have been happy to see the return of José Mourinho to the club, but the latest revelation by the Chelsea manager may not have been such happy news for the Chelsea captain.
Terry spent majority of the last season on the sidelines after his injury problems meant that manager Rafa Benitez did not pick him for most of the league matches. Despite being a first-team regular and huge influence at the club for the last decade, Terry found himself consistently on the bench.
The 32-year-old England defender established himself as one of the best in the world during the regime of José Mourinho, but even the arrival of the Portuguese manager does not look set to guarantee him a first-team spot. Mourinho has conceded that Terry still remains as one of the best defenders in the world, but his multiple injury problems in recent years may taken its toll on the first team place. He has said that it is vital that Terry keeps himself at 100% in order to be sure of a starting spot.
Even his status as the Chelsea captain may not guarantee him a regular starting position. The presence of players like Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, and David Luiz means that Mourinho has a lot of options in this position.
"He's not safe, and he knows he's not safe. The only thing he knows is safe is our friendship, but professionally, nobody's safe. I know he's a very good player, but he must prove himself like everyone else. I feel the motivation is there, the pleasure of training and playing is there. His class is there. His position is there. For me, that's the key point for John," said Mourinho. He has also said that Lampard may not play all the matches in the coming season.