Mourinho explains Baba bench role

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claims defender Baba Abdul Rahman is yet to feature in the Premier League due to his late arrival to the club after being purchased on transfer deadline.

The 21-year-old joined the Blues from German side Augsburg in August but has not been handed his league debut despite calls from supporters.

“Because Baba Rahman arrived in the last day, because he doesn’t know what it is to play in this kind of championship,” Mourinho was quoted as saying by London24.com.

“He had no pre-season with us. He needs time to learn, he needs time to adapt. At the same time, every team, except Maccabi Tel Aviv, is a team of giants. And if you don’t have a minimum of five tall players good in the air, you are dead in set-pieces.”

“When I play Azpilicueta on the right and Baba Rahman on the left and I don’t play Ivanovic, I have only three, not even four.

"So we have to think about all the details. And I think about all the details,” he added.

Chelsea have lost four out of their eight league games and are currently 16th on the log with 8 points, four above relegation. They welcome another relegation-threatened side, Aston Villa, to Stamford Bridge on October 17.

Rahman is expected to join Ghana team in the United States of America this week ahead of the international friendly with Canada on 13 October.