The Brazilian youngster insists he would've done better at Nottingham Forest, where he spent the first-half of last season, if given the opportunity.
"It was all very new to me as the season in Brazil had barely finished and I arrived in England to do pre-season (with Chelsea)," he told the Ubuntu Esporte Clube podcast.
"I was in very good physical shape. I did pre-season and did well, but unfortunately I wasn't going to get as many minutes.
"I decided to leave to play for Nottingham Forest and unfortunately it didn't go as I expected. I was always doing well, training, working to my potential, but unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity. I'm very happy to have returned to Chelsea and, now at Strasbourg, to have found my best performance, to have found my place in Europe, and to have shown my football to the whole of Europe."