Raheem Sterling has defended the quality of Chelsea's squad.

The Blues are facing a season finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Asked about Chelsea's new manager pursuit, Sterling told The Sun: “Whoever takes over will find an unbelievable bunch of talented players.

“Like anything, wherever you go, you need a structure, that we as players follow, and a leader.

“It's as simple as that. We have to buy into whoever is manager.

“We know the Chelsea fans aren't used to this but we have to try to look at the bigger picture between now and the end of the season.

“Be as positive as we can, try to finish strongly. Their support drives the players on.

“In the second half against Brentford we could feel their energy transferring on to us.

“We want the winning feeling back in the building. We know the Chelsea fans deserve a lot better than this."