Basle v Chelsea: Jose Mourinho targeting Champions League win ahead of busy period "It's a period I like," Mourinho said. It's a period where I think the squad can play a role, not just the team. It's a period where I think only the bravest can survive because it's hard. We go into the Christmas period and the accumulation of matches is so high, we don't do it as a normal thing. We do it as a special group with a special mentality, enjoying the situation and forgetting we don't have a Christmas like the Spanish, Italian and German players. We have the pleasure of playing a period that's only for the braves. I enjoyed it when I was in England, and I missed it when I was in Spain and Italy. Now I'm back, I want to enjoy it, I want the players to enjoy it, and we need a special mentality to cope with that situation. Victory on Tuesday would "kill off" Group E - with Chelsea winning it to progress into the last 16 of the Champions League - and mean that the final rubber, at home to Steaua Bucharest, is dead. Basle have failed to capitalise on their shock win at Stamford Bridge in the first round of matches. "After the first match, we did our job and they didn't do theirs," said Mourinho witheringly after Basle coach Murat Yakin had accused Chelsea of "underestimating" his team. Victory would, therefore, mean only eight meaningful matches in December. "That's our motivation for tomorrow, to kill the situation in the group stage and give us a bit of space in December," Mourinho said. The game may also provide an opportunity for Fernando Torres to return after the striker recovered from his latest setback, a groin injury. Torres also played a role in that new Mourinho look - with the manager revealing he had borrowed the striker's clippers at Chelsea's training ground for a DIY trim. At the training ground. I decided to do it. I asked Fernando to give me his machine, and I did it myself in front of the mirror. It's nice and cheap," Mourinho said. Still, even though it is time for the "braves," Mourinho had to pluck up the courage to present his new, old look to his wife, Tami, by warning her in advance. What was her reaction? Mrs Mourinho? I sent a picture before I arrived home to see if I could go in," Mourinho said. Yes, no problem [she likes it]. Although it was all good knockabout stuff, there was, as ever, a hard edge as well with Mourinho. Chelsea will need all their players, yes, but Juan Mata still has to face the reality that as hard as he is working he faces a battle to get in the team ahead of either Eden Hazard or Oscar. "I have left Mata out, a national team player for Spain," Mourinho said. I left [Andre] Schürrle out, a German player for the national team. I left [Kevin] De Bruyne out, probably the best player for Belgium in their qualification campaign. I left Willian out, a player who just played for Brazil. It's a good problem for me, but hard for them when they're not playing. And it's hard for me. I don't have a special pleasure leaving players out. But with those games to come, opportunity will arise. "In this period, they'll play," Mourinho said. It's a period for everybody. So I try to make them mentally ready, even the people who aren't playing a lot. It is that time for the brave.