Oscar unhappy after World Club Cup snub

Oscar is upset after being left out of the starting line-up for the World Club Cup semi-final, and Benitez has expressed his delight at the players reaction.

Benitez said: ‘Oscar is fine. He’s a very good professional. We don’t have any issue with him.

‘I try to manage players, especially in his position because we have Eden Hazard and Juan Mata, who can do more or less the same job.

‘It’s difficult for them but it’s good for me because I have different problems. There’s are no issues or problems.

‘Oscar will have a lot of time on the pitch and I’m sure he’ll be a great player for the club.

‘Oscar’s not happy because he’s not playing and that’s fantastic. There would be a problem if it was the opposite.’

Oscar will start tonight’s Capitol One Cup quarter-final against Leeds United, and will be the Brazilian’s 4th start under Benitez, who will be managing his 8th game in charge.

The Spaniard added: ‘We have to win every competition if we can. We have rivalry with Leeds and we have one less competition to win after losing on Sunday,’ Benitez said.

‘We can’t just call it another game, it’s a very important match for us.

‘Christmas time is a crucial period because you can play so many games that will change everything.’

Michael Emenalo, Chelsea’s technical director has been in talks with Rafa Benitez over possible January targets, and hopes for some sit-down time in the near future.

Rafa added: ‘Hopefully we have two or three days after this game where we’ll have plenty of time to talk about names.

‘There’s no formal meeting because we can chat every day. Michael is watching the training session and we talk every day, about players and how the team is doing.

‘I know what Michael likes and he knows what I like and we come to an agreement.’

Chelsea will be looking to bolster their defensive-midfield position as well as add a striker or two to the squad. They are also looking at long-term replacements for the potential loss of Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard at the end of the season.

I can’t quite understand why Oscar would not have started in the WCC final, nor can I see why he would have started only 3 of Rafa’s first 7 games in charge. The Brazilian playmaker was awesome againt the Mexican side Monterrey, only to find he would start the on the subs bench for the final. Chelsea lacked intent in the final third, and would have been given another dimension with the 21 year-old in the starting line-up. Would you agree with me that Oscar would be one of the first 3 outfield players on the team-sheet every game?