Europa win would cap wonderful season: Sarri

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has said victory over Arsenal in next week's Europa League final would complete a wonderful season for the club, despite speculation about his future.

The Italian came in for fierce criticism from the Stamford Bridge fans during his first campaign but ended up steering Chelsea to a thirdplace finish in the Premier League.

Asked whether he would still be in charge next season, Sarri said his future was the Europa League final but after that he would speak to the club's hierarchy.

"I have two years of my contract here," the former Napoli boss told reporters as he looked ahead to next week's clash with Arsenal in the Azerbaijan capital Baku.

"I have to speak with my club after the final. I want to know if they are happy with me."

Chelsea also reached the League Cup final this term, losing to eventual domestic treble winners Manchester City, and Sarri said his team deserved some silverware.

"I think we had a good season with a lot of problems of course. We lost two or three matches very badly but we had a good season in the end," he said.

"Now we have the Europa League final so the season is a good season and if we can win it would be a wonderful season."

Sarri rejected any notion that he would be judged on whether Chelsea beat Arsenal.

"If the situation is like that I want to go immediately because you cannot after 10 months of work have to play everything in 90 minutes," he said.

"You are either happy with my work or not happy."

N'Golo Kante is expected to be fit for the final, the midfielder having returned to training following a hamstring injury, but defender Antonio Rudiger is out injured.

Chelsea's England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is also sidelined after suffering an Achilles tendon injury during a Holocaust Memorial friendly match in Boston last week.

"We are trying to recover Kante, he had part of the training yesterday with the group so we are optimistic that he will be able to play in the final," Sarri said.

While Chelsea have already sealed their Champions League spot for next season by finishing third in the Premier League, Arsenal must win in Baku to rejoin Europe's elite.

Sarri said that factor could work both ways.