Jose Mourinho to bring John Terry back against Walsall

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will restore John Terry to his defence for Wednesday's League Cup tie at Walsall.

The 34-year-old will make his 650th start for Chelsea in the third-round tussle with the Saddlers, who stand second in League One this season.

Terry has been an unused substitute in Chelsea's last two games, the wins over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League and Saturday's much talked about Premier League triumph over Arsenal, but will have an opportunity to stake a claim for a full-time return to the heart of the defence.

"Of course John's experience will help," Mourinho said. "He didn't play the last match so he is completely fresh and completely motivated to play, the same as Falcao for example.

"Chelsea is Chelsea, and wearing the Chelsea shirt always brings responsibility. Every player is more than happy to play."

The current holders appear to have recovered from the early season dip, but  Mourinho insists he will take Walsall seriously.

"I don't see reasons to throw away any competition," Mourinho told Chelsea's club website.

"A cup is a cup. A trophy is a trophy. If you lose, you lose but you don't need to throw it away. So yes, we look to the competition in a proper way, and I also think it's very important to respect opponents.