Chelsea lost their way — Mourinho gives honest assessment of Maresca's Blues

Jose Mourinho said that Chelsea lost their way at some point; however, he believes that the current BlueCo project is on the right track, highlighting the UEFA Conference League win as a step in the right direction. 

Mourinho, now the head coach of Benfica after his termination at Fenerbahce, will lead the Portuguese giants to Stamford Bridge to face his old club, Chelsea, on Tuesday. 

The 62-year-old did not bother with diplomacy when presented with news of Palmer's injury, admitting that the Englishman's absence was good for his team's fortunes. 

He praised Maresca for starting to get the tune out of his team, referencing his own Chelsea sides and how dominant they were.  

“I'm happy [Palmer will be missing],” he said, per Goal. “My Chelsea team was a winning machine, with a big investment but a lot of ambition; then they seemed to lose some direction, and it was tough for those who love the club.

“Enzo Maresca [Chelsea manager] arrived, and the puzzle is being completed piece by piece, and they won the Conference League. Now I think they have a good, good team, and if Cole Palmer isn't a problem for Chelsea [through injury], that's a big problem for me. If [Heorhiy] Sudakov or [Vangelis] Pavlidis don't play, that's a big problem for me.”