With the bulk of his squad training at the UCLA campus yesterday, Mourinho’s most difficult task may be to keep them all together because several fringe players appear to be following the example of Damien Duff in agitating for a move.

Five first-team players have left Chelsea this summer and their shortage of numbers is so acute that two youth-team players, Ryan Bertrand and Michael Woods, were training with their more illustrious colleagues yesterday having had their names plucked from a hat before departure from Heathrow on Wednesday. The meticulous Mourinho is not used to having his training sessions determined by a lottery.

With Eidur Gudjohnsen, Asier Del Horno, Glen Johnson (loan), Carlton Cole and Duff having moved on, Wayne Bridge is the latest to develop itchy feet, using the impending arrival of Ashley Cole as the pretext for telling Mourinho that he wishes to leave. Bridge changed his agent when he discovered that Jonathan Barnett and Cole had met Chelsea in the infamous “tapping-up” episode 18 months ago, so it comes as no surprise that the club’s renewed approach to his international rival should prove the final straw.

Having spent the second half of last season at Fulham, Bridge has been short of suitors this summer, but Newcastle United may come to his aid. Freddy Shepherd, the chairman, has revealed his interest and if Bridge opts to move to the North East, the deal should be concluded swiftly, with Newcastle having no problems matching Chelsea’s £3 million valuation or the player’s £40,000-a-week wages.

Newcastle are also monitoring Shaun Wright-Phillips’s situation after renewing their request to take him on loan for the season. The club’s initial approach was dismissed in May, with Chelsea insisting that he would be allowed to leave only if they were to recoup a significant proportion of the £21 million they paid Manchester City 12 months ago, but Mourinho may have changed his mind.

In talks with the player before leaving London, the manager told Wright-Phillips that he would be given the rest of pre-season to prove that he possessed the ability and attitude to stay at Stamford Bridge but if he failed to do so, Mourinho would be open to offers, with City also interested in taking him back on loan.

Hernán Crespo is unlikely to play for Chelsea again after failing to board the flight on Wednesday. The club issued a statement yesterday saying that, as players aged over 30 who were involved in the World Cup, Crespo and Claude Makelele had been given an extended holiday, although the Frenchman was not due to return for another week, so this appeared to be little more than an exercise in face-saving.

Crespo has made no secret of his desire to return to Italy and has successfully pursued similar tactics in the past, missing a breakfast meeting on Mourinho’s first day in charge two years ago and being loaned to AC Milan within a matter of days. Inter Milan are his most likely destination this time, with Mourinho making it clear that the Argentinian does not feature in his plans, although securing a transfer fee could prove more of a problem.

“I have enough forwards, so Hernán stays behind,” Mourinho said. “If the club receives the right offer for him then they will consider it, but if not he will return for training when we get back.”

• Derry City recorded one of the biggest upsets in Irish football history by defeating Gothenburg 1-0 at home last night to complete a 2-0 victory on aggregate in the Uefa Cup first qualifying round.