I don't understand why Mata is left out: Avram Grant

Avram Grant

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant has said that he does not understand why Jose Mourinho is not allowing Juan Mata to be a part of the starting eleven.

“I personally don’t understand (why he left Mata out). But in this position Chelsea have so many players, so if Oscar, Eden Hazard, or Willian is out people will ask why they are out of the squad or team. Mata was one of the best players in the midfield in the last year,” Grant said.

“A manager needs to take a decision and in this case it’s a tough decision. Jose will know how to manage them well,” he added.

Mata, who was the player of the year at the club for the last two years, has been finding it hard to get into the team after the appointment of Mourinho.

Grant, who replaced Mourinho after his last spell at the club, also said that Roman Abramovich never interferes in the manager’s decision about the team line-up.

“Abramovich has spent a lot of money at Chelsea and so has the right to say his opinion. But at the end of the day the manager made the decisions and he never said do this or that. When we spoke about football he’d say what his opinion is, but so did the chief executive. But it was the manager’s decision and he would support that decision,” he said.