Chelsea players have been in contact with former manager Jose Mourinho and his backroom team, it has been revealed.

The Observer says the upset of some players is such that they have contacted Mourinho and his paid- off assistants to complain about the new manager, having to be urged by the Portuguese not to damage their own careers by failing to contribute wholeheartedly.

Unsettled by the new regime himself, assistant coach Steve Clarke has been credited with keeping the team together on the field and retaining a level of quality at training sessions.