Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is happy with the competition between his goalkeepers Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois.

Mourinho says the long-serving Czech is one of the top three goalkeepers in the world, but would have no problem bringing a fit-again Courtois back in at Stoke.

"I put the team up," the Chelsea boss said when asked how Cech would find out.

"It's my decision and the players may not be happy with the decision, or not agree with the decision, but they know my decision is not to favour somebody or to punish somebody.

"It's what I think is best for the team at a certain moment. This is the way I do it.

"It's one of the first things I say to every squad at the beginning of the season: I don't give explanations to players unless they ask me for one.

"If somebody come to me and ask me to explain, obviously [no problem]. But, by principle, I don't explain things.

"I have to see if Courtois is 99 per cent or 100 per cent. If he's 99 per cent he doesn't play for sure.

"I have to make life easy for me. If I explain to one, I have to give them all explanations. In Christmas, I'd spend all the time giving explanations."