Hiddink: Cesc not to blame for Chelsea's problems

Guus Hiddink has defended off-colour Cesc Fabregas, stating that the midfielder is not to blame for Chelsea's poor league position.

After winning the Premier League title in May the Blues have slumped alarmingly, costing Jose Mourinho his job.

But the manager's replacement on the Stamford Bridge bench has affirmed that critics of Cesc are wide of the mark.

"I think we are now focusing too much on Cesc regarding this,' Hiddink said ahead of Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

"'The whole team weren't doing well until December. It's not just one player."

"When you look at the goals conceded, that's not just our defence that is not good enough. It's not just the defensive players. It's the whole team's performance, defensively and offensively.

"I don't want to focus on just one player who might need a bit more strength or whatever to get back into shape."

Despite his public show of support for the ex-Barcelona and Arsenal star, Hiddink admitted that Jon Obi Mikel could be in line for a first-team place.

"It's not about a goalie and 10 outfield players. We want 14 or 15 potentially good players who, when they're needed, can go into the lineup," he explained.

"One time it might be Mikel. The next it might be Cesc or others. It depends on the opponents, too.

After 19 games Chelsea languish in 14th place in the Premier League table, having picked up just 20 points in the first half of the season.