Spanish duo Fernando Torres and Juan Mata set to miss Chelsea's opening Premier League match against Hull City

The pair will only have just returned from international duty

Fernando Torres (Getty images)

Jose Mourinho has said that he is already considering leaving Fernando Torres and Juan Mata out of Chelsea’s first Premier League game against Hull City on 18 August because he believes they will be too exhausted following an international friendly for Spain in Ecuador.

Spain play in Quito on 14 August and the players will not return to their homes in London and Surrey until the Saturday morning, the day before the Hull game, Mourinho said. Mourinho has not yet had the benefit of working with Torres, Mata, David Luiz, Oscar, Cesar Azpilicueta and John Obi Mikel who join up on Sunday having been given more time off after the Confederations Cup.

Asked whether he had a first XI in mind for the Hull game, Mourinho said: “The players who go for their national teams two days before the opening of the Premier League, it depends a lot on that. Some have to go to Ecuador and come back and arrive in London on Saturday without having slept after a 15-hour flight to train on Saturday morning.

“I don’t think he is going to play on Sunday. If a player plays for England on Wednesday against Scotland, plays for 45 minutes at Wembley and then an hour after the game he is at home in Cobham sleeping, he is in a better condition to play. The team will be decided game after game and week after week.”

Mourinho also said that hae would try to help the England team. “I want to help. I want to support. Prepare players in a good way. Prepare them well, motivate them to have a good season. Let them get to the last part of the season in great condition. Make them – not a choice, obviously – an option for the national team.

“Make them an option for Roy Hodgson. I want to help. I will be very happy if England can succeed and my English players, I know there are not many, I will try to help them.”

Mourinho said that Nathaniel Chalobah, who has toured with Chelsea in Asia, would go on one more loan this season to a Premier League side. “He [Chalobah] is a very, very good player. I like him very much. I am very impressed,” he said. “For sure, he is a Chelsea player... we think he is there. He could be in our squad already.” Josh McEachran, Lucas Piazon and Wallace will also go on loans.