Carvalho, a key figure as Mourinho’s former club won the Champions League two seasons ago, has been fined for the comments he made to a Portuguese newspaper.

But Mourinho – who also confirmed he expects midfielder Tiago to join French champions Lyon in the next day or two – bears no grudges.

“He did what we hid, he was punished by the club from a financial point of view,” said Mourinho.

“He was punished but the biggest punishment a player can have is when he is not selected. It is enough.

“He has to try to play again, he knows he has to stay at Chelsea. I know he is a great player; the same way it was with John Terry last year, it was with Ricardo two years ago. He is a top player.

“I can’t say it won’t happen again in the future. Players are players and when they are frustrated and not happy then they say something that they shouldn’t but really I hope when they have something to say, they say it to me, say it to the group.”

Lyon are seeking a replacement for Michael Essien, who joined Chelsea last week for £24.4m (€36m), and have agreed a deal for Tiago worth around £6m (€8.8m).

The 24-year-old has not featured in Chelsea’s opening two Premiership fixtures and is eager for a move away from Stamford Bridge to boost his chances of featuring for Portugal in next summer’s World Cup.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said: “We have an agreement with Chelsea’s directors. We now have the priority on Tiago until August 31.”