Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has ignored Abdul Baba Rahman as a replacement for the injured Branislav Ivanovic ahead of the Premier League game against Aston Villa on Saturday.
But Jose Mourinho admits Baba Rahman is still learning how to adapt to English football, although he says he trust the full-back.
The Ghanaian defender joined Chelsea at the end of the summer transfer window but he has yet to make an appearance in the Premier League for the Blues.
Saturday’s game against Aston Villa would appear to be an ideal scenario for the 21-year-old to get his first taste of Premier League action.
The 21-year-old Ghanaian is however yet to play a single minute in the English Premier League and that could continue this week as Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho still holds the view the former Kotoko player is not ready.
Branislav Ivanovic is out injured, meaning Mourinho could shift Cesar Azpilicueta to right back and give Rahman his first league start on the left.
The Chelsea boss said his team news:
We only have the Ivanovic injury, but we have solutions.
“I have four solutions. I have Azpilicueta, I have adaptations for Ramires, I have Ola Aina, he is only 18 and never played in the Premier League but he has potential.”
The most probable way of Abdul Baba Rahman getting a chance is if Azpilicueta is slotted in at right back among the four players. A decision by Jose Mourinho to go with any of the other three [Kurt Zouma, Ramires or Ola Aina] will mean Azpilicueta keeping his position at left-back leaving Baba Rahman no place in the Chelsea team.
But Mourinho says the full-back is still developing his game, meaning he may be left out of action again.
When Rahman first joined Chelsea Mourinho suggested that his diminutive frame could be a problem, but he insists this is no longer the case.
“His size is the same today as it was three months ago,” Mourinho said. “It’s not a problem of size. It’s a problem of experience and being adapted to the Premier League.
“I go back to one of the best defenders ever in the Premier League – Ricardo Carvalho. He was in big trouble for three, four or five months and he was saying he couldn’t adapt to the change from Portuguese League and Champions league to the Premier League – to the way the attacking players were playing and the way he had to adapt and use his position, his body.
He was a super player and it was hard for him for three or four months so it depends on the characteristics of the players.
“Baba is really good with the ball, he’s very fast, but he’s learning how to play this game. He’s learning how we play, how we defend and the fact that he came to us in the last day of the market took the possibility from him of working in the pre-season. But he’s a good player for sure and we trust him.”