Batshuayi set to be fall-guy as Blues boss Conte’s mood turns dark
ANTONIO CONTE has delivered two damning assessments of his Chelsea players since the defeat at Crystal Palace and is already looking to replace Michy Batshuayi in January as he attempts to cope with injuries and the club’s busy fixture schedule.
Victor Moses became the third Chelsea player in two weeks to sustain a hamstring injury and is set to miss at least four weeks after going off against Palace.
Alvaro Morata is hoping to return from his hamstring problem to face Roma in the Champions League tomorrow night, but Conte is said to have been in a dark mood since Saturday and believes his worst fears over the consequences of the summer transfer window could come true.
It is understood head coach Conte ripped into his squad in the aftermath of the 2-1 Palace defeat and then launched a full-scale inquest into what went wrong and where Chelsea must improve in training on Sunday.
Conte accused his players of taking their foot off the gas against Palace and warned they would have to work much harder to enjoy successful Premier League and Champions League campaigns.
WORKLOAD
But the workload has been taking its toll, as medical experts believe that the increased number of games in the Champions League, together with international commitments and tough training sessions, is behind the recent spate of hamstring injuries.
Midfielder N’Golo Kante is likely to be out for the rest of the month, while right wing-back Moses could miss the vital Premier League game against Manchester United on November 5.
Although Morata is expected to return against Roma, Conte is well aware that he cannot afford his first-choice striker to suffer any long-term injury before the transfer window reopens in January.
Batshuayi put in another ineffective performance in Morata’s absence on Saturday and could not hide his frustration at being replaced by Pedro in just the 57th minute.
Batshuayi would have been loaned out if Chelsea had signed Fernando Llorente, who joined Tottenham Hotspur instead, and that could still be the case in January if the club can find a more reliable deputy to Morata.
Conte is an admirer of Christian Benteke, who is yet to score for Crystal Palace this season and is currently injured, while Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy has been considered in the past. (© Daily Telegraph, London)