Torres key to Mourinho plans

Fernando Torres remains central to returning manager Jose Mourinho's plans for Chelsea this season.

Torres has never justified his £50million price tag since moving to Stamford Bridge from Liverpool in January 2011, though he showed some improvement once reunited with interim boss Rafael Benitez last season.

The Spain striker finished the campaign with 23 goals, though they were spread over 75 appearances in all competitions and surrounded by a remarkable number of missed chances, particularly in the one-on-one situations in which he was previously so deadly.

Mourinho plans to keep faith with the Euro 2012 and Confederations Cup golden boot winner, though, and insists the team must learn to provide him with the best service.

"I don't know if it's confidence," the Portuguese told several national newspapers. "I feel the guy is highly motivated, he works very hard.

"I think some of the work we do with the team in terms of attack suits his qualities. We are here to support him.

"Usually when he is clear, he scores that goal - but he has missed (recently). We know that this is Torres' game. When we see Torres with his back to goal, surrounded by two or three opponents, we know that he is not going to produce a piece of magic.

"We want the team not to learn how to play with him, but to improve how to play with him. He is working very hard in training, we are happy with him.

"His game is impossible to remodel. But we want to adapt the team and teach the team how to use his best qualities.

"He is not a kid any more, he is at an age where it is difficult to change his play. He is what he is and he is very good with the qualities he's got. So we need to learn and support his game."