Mourinho stands firm on rotation

Robben denies Mourinho criticism

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that Arjen Robben and the rest of his squad can forget about playing every game for the Blues this season.

"It is possible to play the same 11 players all the time but if I do this, my players play 70 matches," he said.

"Against Arsenal, West Brom and Tottenham I will not play with the same players for all three matches."

Winger Robben issued a statement on Saturday denying he had been critical of Mourinho's rotation policy.

But defender Ricardo Carvalho earned a dressing down earlier in the week after publicly criticising Mourinho for leaving him out of the Community Shield encounter with Arsenal and the Premiership opener with Wigan.

Carvalho issues apology

Mourinho is adamant that he will not stop swapping around his players and says it is inevitable he will make changes for the club's next three games.

"Not always Didier Drogba or Hernan Crespo playing, that is for sure," he added. "And not in all three games will it be William Gallas and John Terry in defence."