Mourinho warns De Bruyne he must ‘prove himself’ at Chelsea

Jose Mourinho has warned Kevin De Bruyne that he must “work very hard” to prove himself at Chelsea under the Portuguese boss.

The 22-year-old Belgium international has made just four appearances in all competitions for the Blues since his return from a season-long loan spell at Werder Bremen.

And Mourinho says that the midfielder must adapt to the fierce competition for places at Stamford Bridge if he is to enjoy a successful run in the first team.

“The first thing to understand is that Bremen does not have the same squad as Chelsea,” said Mourinho. “When you have more competition, you have to compete every game and every minute.

“I have to be honest with the players and my choices, and I have to base it on work. Kevin will be on the pitch soon and he has to think that he’s playing for the next appearance.

“I think that he understands the difference. In Bremen, he was playing every game. Here he needs to prove himself. He’s competing against very good players. He has to work very hard.”