Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas says his young players need to prove they're good enough for the first team.

John Terry was the last academy player to become a first-team regular at Chelsea, who regularly send out their youngsters on loan, often to no avail.

Villas-Boas insisted that was down to the players themselves.

"If they're unable to triumph over there, it can't just be a manager's decision," he said. "They have to show they are capable of triumphing in a difficult environment.

"It is never a good option if you come back early - it means something went wrong."