Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez believes that his side can compete against any team, despite receiving criticism for the club's defeat to Southampton last weekend.

Benitez rested several players as Chelsea lost 2-1 to the Saints, but after the Blues responded with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup, the former Liverpool boss has insisted that it isn't always possible to play his preferred starting lineup.

The 52-year-old told reporters: "I think that we proved against a team at the top of the table that we can compete against anyone, if we have the time and the players available.

"We have a lot of games, so you cannot do whatever you want to do. You sometimes have to try things in a different way."

The Stamford Bridge outfit face Rubin Kazan on Thursday in what will be their third fixture in six days.