Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho maintains that Juan Mata is
not for sale and has explained his benching at Old Trafford.
Speculation regarding the Spain international's future
has intensified after he was left out of the Blues' starting XI for the 0-0
Premier League draw at Manchester United on Monday night.
The news that Chelsea are now in 'advanced talks' with
Porto winger Christian Atsu is also likely to fan the transfer flames further,
rather than put them out.
Chelsea are already well-stocked for creative talent, so
the arrival of another forward-thinking player would suggest that sales are
imminent.
Manchester United have been strongly linked with Mata,
while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted a liking for the World Cup winner on
Tuesday.
Mourinho, though, intends to leave his Premier League
rivals empty-handed, with Mata still very much part of his plans.
The Portuguese tactician claims too much is being made of
the 25-year-old's absence against United, with his withdrawal from the first
team purely down to a lack of pre-season minutes.
Mourinho said in The Sun: "There is no chance Juan
goes.
"He had a very small pre-season after the
Confederations Cup. And during that pre-season he was injured.
"He started training two days before we played the
first league match.
"He played against Aston Villa and I decided to put
him on the bench against United."
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