What does the future hold for Mikel at Chelsea?

Chelsea got their Premier League campaign off to a flying start with a comfortable 3-1 away win over newly-promoted side Burnley on Monday. The Portuguese handed debuts to new recruits, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas, and both proved to be key figures as Burnley were taken apart. In terms of personnel and performance, it was a new-look Chelsea, one that Jose Mourinho likes very much. However, with the team packed with so much power and flair, where exactly does John Obi Mikel fit in the revolutionised Stamford Bridge outfit? As Mourinho seeks perfection, does he have a place for the Nigerian, even if he is one of his long-serving lieutenants?

Mikel was a substitute against Burnley, entering the fray in the second half with the match already won. This is hardly a status befitting the Super Eagles’ key man.

To make my point crystal clear, here’s a tweet by Goal’s Chief Editor Lolade Adewuyi after the game: “Mikel begins his #CFC season as a (82nd minute) substitute. Nigeria’s most high profile player ought to set a better example. Na like this we go dey dey?”

Now, that’s in the starting XI and the midfield set, leaving no place for Mikel.
Mikel, at 27, is not getting any younger, and as far as the national team is concerned, there is a sense he could be walking the last mile in his Nigeria career. Few batted an eyelid when he was parachuted into the Super Eagles setup in 2006; so high were expectations of him. 

 
His performances in 2013 were heart-warming in their consistency, and brought unprecedented success to the Super Eagles. However, is that the best Nigeria’s brightest midfield talent of the last decade can produce? One year of peak performance? A brief flicker we did not buy?

It would also be wayward to believe that the Nigerian would get the nod over Ramires (who was suspended for the game) for a position in the double pivot in midfield in the event of injuries or suspensions. Now, that’s on the bench; still no chance. So what exactly is the Nigeria’s most high profile player doing at the London-based club?