Boulahrouz eyes central role

Khalid Boulahrouz has said he would rather sit on the bench than play out of position.

The 24-year-old Dutchman has so far failed to convince manager Jose Mourinho that he deserves a starting role at centre back, but has seen plenty of action at right back this season.

However, he was pulled off just 23 minutes after coming on as a substitute against Tottenham earlier this month and has started just once since, with Mourinho preferring Geremi at right back.

With Ricardo Carvalho injured Boulahrouz could play at the heart of Chelsea's defence against Werder Bremen on Wednesday, and he is hoping to grasp the opportunity.

"I was not happy to be taken off at Tottenham, but that's a situation I have to deal with," Boulahrouz told The Times.

"I said nothing special to Mourinho after Tottenham, honestly.

"Everybody knows what my best position is. I prefer to play in the middle and it's where I feel more comfortable, but I always give everything I have.

"For me, I prefer to play centre back, even if it means sitting on the bench."

Boulahrouz joined Chelsea from Hamburg in August with a reputation for tough-tackling, and he is enjoying the physical side of The Premiership.

"Chelsea are not too physical, what is too physical?" he said.

"Barcelona, Tottenham and lots of other players are aggressive as well. I enjoy the physical art, which is crucial in England.

"There's a combination of very physical players and very smart players. You have everything in the Premier League, which is why I think it's the best league in the world.

Boulahrouz believes Chelsea are hugely unpopular, but declared that their incredible team spirit would always remain intact.

"Everyone hates us, everyone wants to beat us and everyone wants us to lose, but we always stick together," he stressed.

"I've never experienced spirit like this in my career. Everyone buys into the spirit and it comes from everyone - the manager, the players, the chef."