Chelsea Team News: Mourinho Confirms Injury Boost Ahead Of Newcastle Trip

Trailing to goals from Ayoze Perez and Georginio Wijnaldum, the reigning champions looked like suffering a fourth defeat in the space of seven Premier League matches when they were still 2-0 behind with 11 minutes left at St James’ Park.

Vurnon Anita crossed from the right, and after pulling between Branislav Ivanovic and a dawdling Kurt Zouma, Perez took a superb first touch, then dispatched a clinical half-volley via the left-hand post.

The Blues started well enough with Zouma, again preferred to John Terry in central defence, seeing a rasping free-kick go just wide early on.

Loic Remy has put himself in the frame to start up front in place of the Spanish worldwide while Radamel Falcao is another option, but Mourinho insists he’s yet to decide who will lead the line tomorrow.

Maybe he was still brooding over the retrospective ban handed to Diego Costa this week.

In the end, he was pleased with a point despite coming so close to the win.

“What you got was a collective togetherness, which we talked about a lot, and that wasn’t just the players and the dressing room and the staff, that was the supporters because after this week, the supporters could have just waited and seen what was going to happen”. We are a team, from the boardroom to the boot room, and we will respond like one. So when he was asked about the Premier League title race, which all of us Arsenal fans were expecting us to make a much better go at this season, the former France striker declared that he still thinks we will be up there, as reported by The Express. “That was more like it”. “I wish we’d have won as the belief would have really risen but today will help”.

Newcastle were in control of the game as the excitement began to peter out, and you would have been forgiven for thinking that that was that, but cue the Chelsea comeback.

“I don’t think it’s a motivation for him to score against Newcastle more than it’s a motivation for him to score against Walsall”.

They were out-fought in the first half by Newcastle, and done by a defensive mistake.

“I always feel that with young players, that period with the Chelsea first team is very important for them“.

He added: “I have to try to understand why one team can play so bad in one half and so well in other“.

Garry Monk’s team have performed solidly and in Bafetimbi Gomis they have a man who can hold up the ball expertly, while confident Saints are likely to lay siege at home.