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Fernando Torres has scored just 20 goals for Chelsea since signing for the club in January 2011

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says he wants to keep Fernando Torres even though the striker was not selected in the Blues' squad against Leicester.

Torres, 30, is the club's third-choice striker since the summer arrivals of Diego Costa and Didier Drogba.

He has been linked with a number of clubs, with AC Milan the latest reportedly interested in signing him. external-link

But Mourinho said: "I want him to stay. He will play and score goals, and be very useful for us."

The £50m signing from Liverpool was an unused substitute in Chelsea's season-opening victory against Burnley on Monday.

To compound matters for the Spaniard, his replacement and compatriot Costa - a £32m signing from Atletico Madrid - has made a fine start to his Chelsea career, scoring against Burnley and finding the net on his home debut as the Blues beat Leicester 2-0.

Torres at Chelsea Fernando Torres joined Chelsea from Liverpool in January 2011 for a club record fee of £50m. He played 28 games in last season's Premier League, scoring five goals and five assists.

In explaining his decision to omit Torres from his 18-man squad against the Foxes, Mourinho said: "The reason is I decided to keep the same team, to have a bench with a complete balance. Sometimes I can have two strikers on the bench, sometimes I can't.

"I want three strikers in the team. Sometimes I play with two, one on the bench, sometimes someone will be injured or suspended. I cannot do a season without three strikers."