Leaders not fully in groove, insists Jose

Jose Mourinho has warned Chelsea’s Premier League rivals that the team will get even better this season despite their impressive start.

The Blues, who face Aston Villa today, dropped points for the first time last weekend in drawing at defending champions Manchester City.

Diego Costa, who has scored seven goals in five Premier League games, will return despite his ongoing hamstring trouble against Villa, with the Blues seeking a fifth victory in their sixth game.

“I don’t go for six, seven or eight [marks] out of 10,” Mourinho said. “We have to improve in every aspect. No doubt.

“We were deadly on the counter-attack against Everton [winning 6-3], we were fantastic with the way we defended collectively against Man City.

“We’ve had very good periods. But, in the end, what is important is that in this moment nobody is ahead of us.”

Mourinho made nine changes for Wednesday’s Capital One Cup defeat of Bolton and is likely to revert to the majority of the line-up which began at the Etihad, although Ramires is out with a groin injury.

The Blues boss insisted his fringe players impressed in midweek despite making hard work of the Sky Bet Championship strugglers in winning 2-1.

World Cup winner Andre Schurrle missed a number of opportunities.

Mourinho would not fault his performance, although he recognised the Germany forward, like the team, is not at his best yet.

The Portuguese said: “He really wanted to make an impact in that game, and his performance was really good. It was important for him to play 90 minutes.

“He was one of the guys, like the Brazilians, who reached the last stage of the World Cup, his holiday was very short.

“In this last part of the World Cup, we had players in the same position: Ramires, Willian, Oscar and Schurrle. I couldn’t say ‘you four, holidays, I can do without you’, because I couldn’t do without them.

“I need them and I need them step by step. Not one of them is in super form, like [Cesc] Fabregas, [Nemanja] Matic, [Branislav] Ivanovic. At this moment, they’re not. It has to be step by step.”

Meanwhile, Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is already preparing his January shopping list after holding talks with the club’s hierarchy.

The Villa Park chief has spoken to new chief executive Tom Fox about his transfer plans for the new year. Lambert will be backed in the market by chairman Randy Lerner, who watched the 3-0 to Arsenal last week, his first home game for almost two years.

“I’ve spoken to Tom Fox about January and whether we need to do something. It depends on personnel and injuries and ultimately the decision will come from the chairman,” Lambert said.

“He’s never once said, ’you can’t do x, y and z’. You put it to him and if he thinks it’s too dear he says no. If he thinks it’s fine then fine.

“I don’t get any indication he will take the club off the market. I still think if someone comes in and makes an offer to make Aston Villa stronger and it is right for the chairman it will happen.”

Villa striker Christian Benteke could make his long-awaited return from injury in his side’s upcoming clash with Manchester City, though today’s clash comes too soon for him.

Lambert also revealed the Villans were this week still recovering from a virus which struck the squad ahead of the defeat against Arsenal but hopes for a clean bill of health for the trip to Chelsea.