Chelsea have been linked with a move for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana.

Chelsea have seen two bids rejected for Fofana, and the young centre-back is said to be very keen on joining Chelsea.

According to reports, Fofana had asked to be left out of the team to face Southampton, and Rodgers eventually dropped the Chelsea target.

Asked about the changes to his team which saw Fofana miss the game, Rodgers told Sky Sports: “One, a change in system and two, I mentioned in the week, we’re coming into a Premier League game and maybe we’ve got players who are maybe not quite in the right frame of mind.

“You can’t carry them, or certainly we can’t. So yeah, that’s the reason for the changes.”

Leicester City ended up losing 2-1 to Southampton.

Rodgers had admitted that Chelsea’s interest in Fofana has unsettled the young defender.

Asked how the situation is affecting his early-season preparations, Rodgers said: “There’s no denying it.

“It’s always a tricky period. Your season is starting, you’re trying to get focused, and you spend your summer creating this powerful collective unit, and then there is lots of speculation.

“These are young guys and it’s the first time they have experienced this for some of them. There can be disruption. The idea is to keep the group focused. The minute the window ends, it all ends.”