Jose Mourinho will judge the progress of his Chelsea side when the Premier League leader travels to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

The Blues manager was highly critical of his team when it lost last season's corresponding fixture at the end of March and questioned the resilience and mental strength of some of his players.

That defeat contributed to Chelsea's failure to sustain its title challenge but Mourinho believes his squad is now worthy of being regarded as a genuine contender this time around.