Jose Mourinho believes Chelsea can’t contend for trophies this year as they lack the striking power necessary to compete with the very best.

Mourinho, speaking with BBC Radio 5 Live after his side’s 2-1 win over Crystal palace yesterday, said “I don’t think we are the big contenders of any competition. We don’t have the striker who is going to score 30 goals in the league.”

“We know we don’t have that striker we used to call the killer, the selfish one, the one that gives the last touch.”

Fernando Torres was the scorer of Chelsea’s opening goal yesterday, however just 5 of Chelsea’s 32 league goals this season have come from their three recognised strikers; Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto’o.

"It is a concern. We have to try to improve our defensive mistakes but I think the defensive mistakes are also a consequence of the fact you don't kill.

"When you don't kill you know you are on the edge and any mistake can lose you points. Today could finish 5-1 or 2-2 and that is hard for my heart."

"You don't kill and when you don't kill you are giving a chance to the opponent. It happened to us against Everton, it happened to us against Stoke. You have situations to kill and you don't, so it's difficult.

Mourinho dismissed the idea of signing a striker to fill the gap he sees in his side during the January transfer window, saying “They are not available. They are in the big clubs, they are in the clubs with the big ambitions and big clubs with big ambitions don’t sell their selfish ones.”

Yesterday’s win lifted Chelsea to second in the table, just 2 points off leaders Arsenal who suffered a humiliating 6-3 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.