Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed Nemanja Matic is ready to come straight back into the Blues team for Wednesday’s Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Serbian has sat out of the Premier League side’s last two games through suspension, and then suffered a slight injury to his ankle while celebrating the club’s League Cup final triumph.
Matic missed that game but changed from his club suit into full kit to join his team-mates on the pitch and celebrate the Blues’ win over London rivals Tottenham at Wembley Stadium.
But Mourinho has revealed the midfielder, who has been a key man for the top flight leaders this season, has recovered from the problem in time for their crucial last-16 tie.
"We're happy that he's back. He's fit to play,” said the boss.
“No problem with his injury, but no football for a couple of weeks and no training too because he was really injured.
"He's ready to play and he's going to play."
Mourinho joked with the Serbian, who sat next to his manager in Tuesday evening’s pre-match press conference, he would not be playing after wins versus Spurs and in the Premier Leagueagainst West Ham.
He added:"I told him that we won two very important matches without him. Maybe he's not so important. He was laughing.
"It's also the reality that he's very important for us.”
Mourinho also admitted PSG are the most aggressive side Chelsea have played this season, following their frustrating 1-1 first-leg draw in the French capital three weeks ago.
The manager believes the expensively-assembled Ligue One champions were more aggressive than League Two Shrewsbury, League One Bradford and all the other sides Chelsea have played this term.
"With players of such quality I was expecting more football and less aggression," he said.
"I thought an English team would never be surprised by aggression. In that game I was surprised, because a team with fantastic players was a team with the record of fouls, was the team that was making foul after foul, was the team that stopped [Eden] Hazard with fouls all the time."
