Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has explained why he's recalled Jacob Mellis from his loan at Southampton.

The young midfielder will soon return to Chelsea to commence training with the first team following his loan spell with the Saints, where he represented the side in League One.

"We need to have some young players in January and for them it will be an opportunity to play in the FA Cup and the Premier League," Ancelotti told Chelsea TV.

"Mellis is doing very well; I saw a lot of him in pre-season and like Borini, like Kakuta, he is a very good player," added the Italian.