Andre Villas-Boas and his players called to summit with owner Roman Abramovich

The players were hauled in after they were told their scheduled day off had been cancelled immediately after the 2-0 away defeat to Everton which saw Chelsea slip to fifth in the Premier League table.

Abramovich ordered a series of meetings to attempt to clear the air as the Russian billionaire becomes increasingly concerned as to whether Chelsea will finish in the top four this season and, therefore, fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since he took ownership of the club in 2003.