What Is Jose Mourinho's Best Defensive Line-Up at Chelsea?
Jose Mourinho has the problems most managers crave.
While his rivals are searching for fit and talented players, the Chelsea boss is more concerned about who he's going to be dropping every week from his team.
The strength in depth is clear most games at Stamford Bridge when we see the likes of Filipe Luis and Oscar warming the bench.
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Such is the talent at Chelsea, the manager is spoiled for choice, particularly in defence.
At the start of the campaign, it didn't always appear that way. With Branislav Ivanovic on the right, John Terry and Gary Cahill through the middle, it seemed the left-back position was the only one up for grabs given that Cesar Azpilicueta continues to play out of position.
The defence was virtually picking itself.
That's no longer the case now that Kurt Zouma has emerged as a serious contender for a starting place.
The Frenchman's recent form has added significant strength to this Chelsea team, coming at a key stage of the season when the role of a squad becomes ever more important.
Mourinho discussed that fact this week, explaining how Zouma's surpassed all expectations at this stage of his career.
"Zouma is playing more than I expected, more than he expected, more than everyone expected. So he’s getting very important experience," the Chelsea manager explained, per the Mirror.
"We bought him because of his physical profile, but we were not happy with his tactical knowledge of the game.
"We trusted we could give that to him. In pre-season, I saw mistakes in Germany against Werder Bremen. Mistakes in Hungary against Ferencvaros.
"I thought: 'No problem, it will take time.' He’s bright, humble, wants to work and learn, listens and is intelligent, so he’s had an acceleration in that process to bring him to a level where he is competing with Gary Cahill."
Zouma has helped to transform Mourinho's defensive options. Put simply, Chelsea now have some.
The French youngster has more than played his part in helping Chelsea lift the Capital One Cup trophy, while they have maintained their pace at the top of the Premier League.
When Cahill suffered a mid-season dip in form, Chelsea were able to overcome that without too much fuss as Zouma was on hand to fill in.
In some cases, he did much more than that, putting in the kind of performances that aren't expected of 20-year-old defenders, notably against Liverpool in the Capital One Cup semi-final, second leg.
The battle we're seeing at Chelsea is for the partnership rights alongside Terry in central defence, but for all the positives Zouma has shown, it's still one that Cahill edges. For now.
Experience counts for so much in football, particularly when teams are chasing major honours. Cahill comes with that, along with an understanding of playing alongside a player such as Terry.
Cahill has helped his captain regain his best form, Terry re-emerging as the player we know so well after a difficult couple of seasons under the brief reigns of Andre Villas-Boas, Roberto Di Matteo and Rafa Benitez.
Indeed, it's an interesting similarity with their careers.
Zouma, while much younger than Cahill when he joined Chelsea three years ago, is at a similar stage to when his team-mate arrived.
He comes with great potential and a growing reputation, yet there is an understanding that he must learn much more as a player before he can become a regular starter.
As Mourinho put it, there are still tactical deficiencies to his game that are being ironed out.
Cahill was 26 when Chelsea signed him, but playing the beginning stages of his career at Aston Villa and then Bolton Wanderers, he earned the right for an opportunity at one of the Premier League's top clubs.
His break came much later, and when he got it, Cahill made it count. He was up against David Luiz, a player with a considerable profile, a player who was established.
With hard work and the right attitude, he eventually dislodged him, and now Luiz is no longer even a Chelsea player.
Cahill played with substance, showing the benefits of a player who does the things he is there to do—notably defend.
That's what positioned him alongside Terry; it's what won him his battle.
Now Zouma faces that challenge. He needs to show that same desire to overcome his team-mate and prove to his manager he is worthy of being a first choice.
Zouma's time will come—he has shown us too much since the turn of the year to suggest it won't—although patience will be his best attribute in the short term.
Had Nemanja Matic not been suspended for the recent games against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, Zouma would have been watching proceedings from the bench.
In those two vital games that have shaped how this season will climax for Chelsea, Mourinho went for his tried and tested formula at the back—Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill and Azpilicueta.
That's his strongest defensive lineup for now, but don't surprised when it changes in the future.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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