Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Branislav Ivanovic injury a potential positive for Jose Mourinho

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic's hamstring injury could be a blessing in disguise for Jose Mourinho after the Serbia international's tough start to the campaign, according to Harry Redknapp. Ivanovic is expected to miss at least three weeks after suffering the blow during the 2-0 European Championship qualifying win over Albania.

After scans and treatment at the Blues' Cobham training ground, the 31-year-old appears to have been ruled out of the visit of Aston Villa this weekend. Ivanovic could end up missing seven games in all, including the Champions League double-header against Dynamo Kiev and the visit of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on 31 October.

Ivanovic has been among Chelsea's poorest performers this term and has played a central role in the club losing four of their opening eight Premier League games in the worst start to a titledefence for 20 years. Mourinho has hesitated from dropping Ivanovic and deploying Cesar Azpilicueta at right-back, apparently due to his lack of confidence in new signings Baba Rahman and Papy Djilobodji, who should both be capable of deputising for the Spaniard.

But with Ivanovic, one of the standout players from the last campaign which saw Chelsea win the league title and the Capital One Cup, set for a spell on the sidelines, former Spurs manager Redknapp feels his time off from the game could benefit the defender in the long run. The ex-Lokomotiv Moscow man is being urged to analyse his game to help cut out his mistakes.

"Branislav Ivanovic's injury could be a good thing for Chelsea," Redknapp told the Evening Standard. "A year ago, he was probably the best right-back in the Premier League but he has had one shocker after another for so long that it might do him some good to be out of the spotlight for a while.

"Jose Mourinho will talk to him about his game and what is letting him down at the moment. But there won't be much he can say that Ivanovic doesn't already know because he has been around long enough and won everything there is to win.

"You can show him bits and pieces in video analysis, whether positionally he was poor or if he allowed someone to cut inside and get a shot off too easily. But ultimately it is about confidence. Ivanovic was a top defender and he's only 31. He is not quite at an age yet where his body is in decline so confidence is probably the issue.

"It is like anything in life, if you feel good about yourself you can do anything. Things come off for you. When you aren't, you make more mistakes because you lack self-belief. Maybe he can use this enforced break to analyse his game, rediscover his confidence and come back stronger."

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho facing fresh injury blow after Nemanja Matic and Branislav Ivanovic knocks

The Blues could be without the pair after both of them failed to finish Serbia's brutal qualifier with Albania on Thursday night.

Beleaguered Jose Mourinho fears a fresh double blow after Nemanja Matic and Branislav Ivanovic limped out of Serbia's Euro 2016 qualifying win over Albania on Thursday night.

The Chelsea boss, who has just eight points from his first eight games, is already without first-choice keeper Thibaut Courtois until December.

Now he could be without his Serbian contingent after Ivanovic came off after 65 minutes of the 2-0 victory in Tirana with a hamstring problem.

Matic was withdrawn eight minutes later with what is believed to be a similar issue.

Both players will be assessed before a decision is taken on whether they will return to Chelsea for treatment.

The crocked squad: Chelsea's two Serbians did not finish the match

But it is a fresh blow for Mourinho who is under pressure after the worst start to a season at Stamford Bridge in the Abramovich era.

Chelsea play host to Aston Villa when the international break ends and the match is one that the Blues, ten points behind leaders Manchester City, have to win.

Concerns: Mourinho has seen his squad stretched through injury

While fans and pundits have called for Ivanovic in particular to be replaced before his current injury, Mourinho has stuck by him as he feels summer signing Baba Rahman is not yet ready to cope with the physical nature of the English top flight.

Mourinho was forced to defend himself against claims last weekend that he had humiliated Nemanja Matic after replacing the midfielder soon after sending him on as a substitute in the home defeat to Southampton.

Chelsea injury news: Diego Costa to return but Branislav Ivanovic and Thibaut Courtois definitely out against Aston Villa

Diego Costa is back in contention to return to the Chelsea starting line-up against Aston Villa with his three-match suspension now completed.

The Spanish striker was banned retrospectively for lashing out at Gabriel Paulista when Chelsea beat Arsenal on 19 September, but has seen through that ban after missing the League Cup win against Walsall, the draw at Newcastle and the Southampton defeat.

Jose Mourinho confirmed that Branislav Ivanovic and Thibaut Courtois are the squad's only injury concerns.

"We have only Ivanovic injury and Courtois recovering. Everybody else is available," he said at his pre-match press conference.

Ivanovic was injured while on international duty for Serbia in midweek, while No 1 goalkeeper Courtois is likely to be out until early December because of his knee problem.

Jose Mourinho is under more pressure ahead of the must-win game with Villa afte reports emerged of a 'mutiny' in the Chelsea dressing room. 

With Ivanovic out Mourinho said he has "four solutions", although he strangely omitted £14million Baba Rahman as one of those, instead naming a teenage youth player.

"I have four solutions," he said. " I have Azpilicueta. I have the adaptation of [Kurt] Zouma or Ramires and I have Ola Aina, who is 18 years old."

Jose Mourinho analyses victory over Aston Villa, Eden Hazard and Branislav Ivanovic replacement

Mourinho talks performance, dropping Eden Hazard, and Loftus-Cheek substitution.

Chelsea returned to winning ways thanks to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

Diego Costa and an Alan Hutton own-goal gave the Blues all three points in the first game back after the international break.

Here's what Jose had to say...

The performance

"We were not brilliant but we were solid.

"In football you can be brilliant when the confidence is high and the players are able to put on the pitch all qualities.

"When confidence is low and the results are not good players feel the pressure of the moment the quality goes down. You have to bring other ingredients to the game and the did it in an amazing way.

"Defensively we had great discipline, effort and balance in team. The had a couple of moments in first half but apart from that everything was under control.

"I would never to come from a bad period directly into brilliant game. I was expecting this type of answer today and the answer was there."

Dropping Eden Hazard:

"Hazard was left out because we are conceding lots of goals.

"To defend better we need midfield to be worried just with central area of the pitch - not to be worried about compensation on the left or right and playing with Pedro and Willian means the midfield players don’t have to look to left or right because they know that they control very well.

"They did amazing defensive work - the allow midfield to be comfortable and to have performances like Ramires and Fabregas controlling centre of the pitch so it was just a tactical decision.

"Leaving super quality on bench but bringing tactical discipline and hoping that the team would be solid."

Moment for team:

"I told the players that this is not a moment to think about themselves or personal situation or moan or try to be selfish in approach.

"This is a moment for the team - just the team and nothing else. I asked them exactly that - to look at the picture in a different way to our normal situation where I have to make decisions to try and bring results and when they are back and we have better stability in our confidence levels then we go back to what we are."

Diego Costa back scoring:

"Yeah its good. The way he was working in past two weeks, he stayed with us over the international break and I knew he would bring something positive to us."

Loftus-Cheek substitution:

"I wanted more solidity in midfield. He is a solid, stable, mature player with fantastic in vision and the he analyse games and decisions in the game but without ball cannot compare tactically to others and in this moment one decision in favour of stability and control."

Start of rise?

"Today we were able to find these ingredients that we need when we are not playing at the top level -no concentration,defensive mistakes, you don’t defend well and lose ball and don’t have ten players fighting for it then you cannot win.

"We try to keep mentality and tactical attitude and at the same time with a little bit more happiness and confidence we can go in direction of what we are."

Team’s work rate:

"It's not just the work rate: defensive mistakes in matches where we are under control.

"We sometimes lost balance when central midfield player has to be worried about giving cover for one of the sides - it's like a blanket you pull one side and have your feet on the cold so we try to get that today and team was closed from one touchline to the other.

"When we lost ball we were closed. Then you have defensive line with more stability. John (Terry) and Zouma more comfortable in spite of playing against a phenomenal player in air but our team was solid."

Ivanovic replacement:

"I have other possibilities. I have to try make the best decision for my team, I try to analyse opposition and understand qualities of game and decide between the options I have."

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho reveals replacement for the injured Branislav Ivanovic

JOSE MOURINHO is considering handing Baba Rahman his Premier League debut against Aston Villa.

Branislav Ivanovic was injured on international duty with Serbia and faces a month out with a damaged hamstring.

One option for Mourinho is moving Cesar Azpilicueta to right-back and handing summer signing Baba Rahman a start in defence.

The Ghanaian has made two appearances for Chelsea since joining from Augsburg in August, though he is yet to make his Premier League debut.

"I go back to one of the best defenders the Premier League has ever had, Ricardo Carvalho," said Mourinho.

"He was in big trouble for three, four, five months.

"He said he couldn’t adapt to the change from the Portuguese League and the Champions League to the Premier League: the way attacking players were playing, the way he had to adapt and learn how to use his position and his body.

"He was a super player but it was hard for him for three or four months.

"It’s a problem of experience and being adapted to the Premier League.

"It’s depends on the characteristics of the player.

"Baba is really good with the ball, he’s very fast, but he’s learning how we play and how we defend.

"The fact he came to us in the last days of the market took from him the possibility to work in pre-season, but he’s a good player for sure and we trust him."

Chelsea face Aston Villa this afternoon looking to bounce back from the defeat to Southampton in their last Premier League outing.