Singha All-Stars 0 Chelsea 1: Player ratings from Jose Mourinho's first game since return

Man-for-man marking from Bangkok

Sam Wallace
Wednesday 17 July 2013 16:02 EDT
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Lukaku celebrates his goal with Andre Schurrle
Lukaku celebrates his goal with Andre Schurrle (GETTY IMAGES)

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Chelsea today overcame the Singha All-Stars - the team that beat Manchester United on Saturday. Here, we take a look at how the players performed...

STARTING XI

Petr Cech: It must have been hot under that helmet in the first half. Untested until the end of the half when he missed a cross. 6/10

Wallace Oliveira Dos Santos: A bold attacking debut for the Brazilian right-back. He won the penalty which Lukaku scored and was committed in the tackle. Gave away a needless free-kick late in the first half that put his side under pressure. 7/10

Tomas Kalas: Right-footed, so complements Terry who prefers to play on the left side of central defence. Comfortable in possession but never really stretched by the Thai guest XI's Brazilian striker Cleiton Silva. 6/10

John Terry: Will be delighted to be picked in Mourinho's first XI after the enforced rest periods he endured under Rafa Benitez last season. Not an exacting test. Talked Kalas through the first half. 6/10

Ashley Cole: His usual refusal to give up an inch to his winger despite the heat and humidity. If the troublesome ankles hold out he will comfortably be Chelsea's first-choice left-back again this season. 6/10

Ramires: Put a header just wide in first half. He was a late choice to play after Lampard was withdrawn before the game with an ankle problem. Not really the kind of weather for a box-to-box midfielder to thrive in. The only Chelsea player to stay on for the full 90 minutes. 6/10

Michael Essien: Back in the holding position alongside Ramires in front of the back four. He last played for Chelsea in the final league game at the end of the 2011-2012 season against. Flattened Cleiton Silva in the first half with a tackle. 6/10

Lucas Piazon: It was the Brazilian's chance to play in the No 10 position for which Mourinho has so many candidates to fill this season. He later switched with De Bruyne. Will be hard to imagine him playing there much once the season starts for real. 5/10

Kevin De Bruyne: Started out on the right wing but later came into the centre. Looked confident on the ball and hit a shot from distance in the first half that just skimmed the bar. Stayed on to play second half. 7/10

Andre Schurrle: Looked direct and eager to commit the full-back on the left wing. Not great conditions to work up and down the flank but arguably Chelsea's most exciting player in the first half. 7/10

Romelu Lukaku: Scored a 34th minute penalty to give Chelsea the lead, but he won't be taking any more of them once Lampard is back on the pitch. Had another good chance to score later one-on-one with goalkeeper but could not pick out the corner. 7/10

HALF-TIME SUBSTITUTES

Jamal Blackman: Even less to do than Petr Cech in the first half. The academy goalkeeper will be glad to get some first team action for the club but not much opportunity to show Mourinho what he can do. 6/10

Branislav Ivanovic: Captain in the second half, he found himself out at right-back which is not his favourite position. Dependable on corners when attacking but lost Belux Kasonga who headed Singha's best chance wide. 5/10

Gary Cahill: Physically commanding as ever but hardly stretched. A good option for attacking corners for which he pushed on. Will have greater competition for his place if Chelsea do sign Eliaquim Mangala from Porto. 6/10

Nathaniel Chalobah: Last season's biggest success on the loan market got an early chance to impress Mourinho. Chalobah, who was at Watford last season, played on the left side of the defensive pairing. Not tested. 6/10

Ryan Bertrand: Came on for Ashley Cole at half-time and given little opportunity to get forward as Chelsea contained the play in the second half. Will accept another season as Cole's understudy but surely no more than that. 6/10

Marco van Ginkel: Played quite deep alongside Ramires as one of the two holding midfielders. His job was to keep possession ticking over rather than get up and down the pitch, which is a major feature of his game. 6/10

Eden Hazard: Played on the right win at first when he came on in the second half but also operated as a No 10, switching with De Bruyne. Fierce free-kick on the hour was well-saved, then a volley on the run soon after. Looked a class apart when he engaged in the game. 7/10

Victor Moses: Good combination with De Bruyne early on in the second half. He will have to perform well to get games under Mourinho, given the competition in that position. 6/10

Demba Ba: If Rooney does come to Chelsea then the pressure will be on Ba. Will need to be sharper than he was today. 5/10

Bertrand Traore: A 17-year-old Burkino Faso international he was brought in for the last ten minutes in order to give De Bruyne a well-deserved rest. A late chance to score was struck over the bar. 5/10

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