'If i don't get back in the team, i'll respect it, Chelsea is bigger than me!' - Mikel Obi

John Mikel Obi, Chelsea's longest serving player after captain John Terry has admitted that he will respect the decision of the club and it's manager Antonio Conte if they decide to not bring him back to the Chelsea first team and offload him in the winter or summer transfer window.

Mikel, who has won virtually every title at club level, has not featured for Chelsea this season. He hopes to play in Wednesday's English League cup clash against West Ham as the arrival of Frenchman N'Golo Kante further pushed him down the pecking order below Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas, Nathaniel Chalobah and Reuben Loftus-Cheek.

"I hope I will get some playing time against West Ham [in the EFL Cup], but it is down to the manager," said Mikel to journalists. 

He has been open and honest with me. I respect him for that. He has explained the situation and I totally understand. When you have been at a club for a long time, these things happen where a club wants to move forward. 

"I just have to be professional, work as hard as I can to try and get into the team. I work twice as hard every day and it’s because I appreciate this club. I have been here a long time, have a lot of trophies and memories that will never go away. If I don’t get back in the side, I will respect it. I always respect the football club’s decision. The club is more important than me."

Mikel, who joined Chelsea in 2006, did not start this campaign with the Blues as he was away on international duty with Nigeria at the Olympic Games in Brazil.