Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho denies he sought to humiliate Nemanja Matic during defeat to Southampton.
Mourinho refused to analyse individual performances, but denied humiliating Matic, a half-time substitute who was hauled off 28 minutes later.
"I don't do that to anyone in football and in life," Mourinho said.
Mourinho suggested he would promote younger players, like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, after his senior players' struggles.
"Clearly it is easy to see that some players are in difficulties," he said.
"As a manager you have that situation of I like them, I trust them, I keep them, or I drop, I change.
"Maybe the situation is so negative that a young player feels less pressure than when the team is top of the league."