Good afternoon! Jose Mourinho will be speaking to the media shortly as he prepares his side for a trip to the KC Stadium to face Hull City this weekend. Victory could put them nine points clear at the top of the table with just nine matches still to play this season.

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton at Stamford Bridge last weekend, just a few days after the side were knocked out of the Champions League. Despite their lead at the top of the table, Chelsea haven't been quite at their best in recent weeks, and come up against a side that sit just three points clear of the relegation zone, so will be desperate to try to move away from the bottom three.

Chelsea shared this Vine on Twitter yesterday as a reminder of their trip to Hull last season. Mourinho will surely be looking for more of this from Eden Hazard:

Mourinho should be taking a relatively healthy squad to the match. The only player that has been missing in recent weeks is John Obi Mikel, and the team have not reported any further knocks since last weekend's outing.

The last three meetings between these two sides have ended in 2-0 wins for Chelsea. If you want to find out if Mourinho's side can make it four in a row, you can join us from an hour before kickoff on Sunday to follow our live coverage from the KC Stadium, including team news, half-time and full-time updates and post-match reaction.

While we wait for the manager, why not have a read about the latest player to be linked to the club, Atletico Madrid's Koke.

Several members of the Chelsea squad will be heading off to their international sides after this match. Oscar, Willian and Filipe Luis are all in the Brazil squad, while Kurt Zouma is in France's side and Gary Cahill is included in Roy Hodgson's England team.

One problem for Chelsea's opponents this week will be the absence of Nikica Jelavic. The striker has been ruled out for at least six weeks, and Steve Bruce has admitted that he's unlikely to play again this season.

After the international break, Chelsea will host Stoke City, who have been a tricky side to beat this season, before travelling to relegation-threatened QPR. It will be a difficult end of the campaign for Mourinho's side, as they play Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool in their last seven matches.

A little later than expected, Mourinho is finally in place for his press conference, so let's see what he has to say this week.

Mourinho starts by confirming that Mikel will be the only players missing this weekend, and that he is likely to be available again after the international break.

Mourinho turns his attention to the title race. He tells reporters: "We are in front, the advantage is significant but there is still a long way to go. We are strong and confident. I think the best way to fight against complacency is to know there is a long way to go. We've been chased since August so it's normal to know the other teams are behind and they won't let us enjoy an easy ride."

Mourinho is asked about an article published on the team's website claiming that the team had been awarded unusually low numbers of penalties this season. Mourinho replies: "You gave so much important to that article. I read it, I think it is a very objective article, it is just the number, no more than that. Sometimes you likes stats about goals and corners. The number of penalties in favour or against is another stats. It is not open to opinions. Pure numbers, the numbers always tell the truth, no agendas, no intention."

Looking ahead to this summers transfer window, Mourinho says: "Our transfer policy doesn't need a lot of funds because we don't need a lot of things. We like our squad. We like our players. With a couple of exceptions, we have a young squad."

Mourinho expands on the transfer window, explaining: "I think our policy will be nice and quiet and also a consequence of the players we sell. We sell good players. Let's see what happens. If you ask me zero movements in or out, I don't think so. You always want to improve, but nothing important."

When asked if he is happy with the team's six-point cushion at the top of the table, Mourinho says: "I would prefer to have 20 points more but it's a good situation for us. In nine years, we've won it once so it's not easy. Our normal tendency is to end the season in a very strong way."

The manager adds: "I like the country, I like to feel I belong to your football country. Chelsea won three titles, people know that. We have a good situation in our hands. I think the players are confident."

Mourinho is asked about the club's Champions League exit, and he admits that he would still like to be in the competition: "This is the second time in my career that I don't reach the quarter-final. I would prefer to be there, I confess. The reality is if we were in the Champions League we would have Barcelona home and away and it is a very difficult hypothetical situation."

However, Mourinho says that the scheduling in the Premier League does not help English teams: "In some countries, the fixtures protect the teams in the Champions League. The fact that we went out have is a frustrating situation, but a situation where we can work properly. We can finish the season in a strong way."

Mourinho is asked about Chelsea youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek's future at the club: "I think he will be a player to compete for a position. Now is the moment to protet him. If in this moment we were sixth or seventh, he would play. But Ruben is a player I expect to compete for a place in the team next season, his evolution is superb."

Mourinho is asked questioned about ongoing speculation that Juventus's Paul Pogba could move to Stamford Bridge next season. He says: "I don't speak about Pogba or other players. We look to our midfield players and between Fabregas, Matic, Ramires, Ruben, we have a good group."

On Diego Costa's preparation for this match, Mourinho reveals: "He is having a very good week. Three very good sessions. Don't be influenced by what has happened in previous weeks."

That's it from Mourinho this week! The manager didn't speak much about this weekend's opponents, but he did confirm that his squad is almost fully fit for the trip to the KC Stadium. So, join us again on Sunday afternoon to find out if Chelsea can extend their lead to nine points in the Premier League. Until then, thanks for joining me this afternoon. Goodbye!