Jose Mourinho admitted he spoke to a ball boy during Chelsea's shocking 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday because he feared a confrontation between the youngster and one of his players.

Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta was involved in a minor altercation with the ball boy after growing frustrated at the time taken to return the ball in the second half at Selhurst Park.

At the time, Chelsea was trailing thanks to John Terry's 52nd-minute own goal and the incident reflected the growing frustration as Mourinho's side struggled to work its way back into the game.