Conte tells Southgate: Bad call on Drinkwater

ANTONIO CONTE has accused England manager Gareth Southgate of leaving Danny Drinkwater open to ‘ attack’ after a club-and- country communication breakdown.

Conte insisted his Chelsea midfielder was unfit for England duty last week after suffering a calf injury against Manchester United.

Southgate, however, claimed Drinkwater declined his call because he didn’t feel ‘ ready’, sparking questions about commitment and his World Cup hopes.

‘ Drinkwater doesn’t deserve to be attacked because he was honest,’ said Conte. ‘ There is a very easy way. Before calling the player, call the coach and ask, “Is it OK? Can I do this?”

‘I tell you this because I was the coach of a national team. Find outt if the player has a problem. Is he tired or not? In this way you can avoid a misunderstanding because with Danny it was a misunderstanding. Hee was injured and wasn’t 100 per cent fit. It’s a pity when a player has to payay for a misunderstanding.’

Conte admitted he was surprised not to receive a call from the England camp, especially as his former coach Steve Holland is now assistant to Southgate.

‘It is important to have a relationship,’ said the Chelsea boss. ‘I am ready to help but sometimes there isn’t the communication.’

Conte has no regrets about sending academy graduates Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham on loan despite injuries which have left him short of options.

Michy Batshuayi has been ruled out of today’s game at West Bromwich Albion with a recurrence of an old ankle problem and Victor Moses is out with a hamstring injury. Midfielder Loftus-Cheek, 21, on loan at Crystal Palace, and Abraham, 20, on loan at Swansea, made their England debuts against Germany last week.

‘It was the best solution for them to play regularly,’ said Conte. ‘I was very happy for their call into the national team but don’t forget these are friendly games and this is the right moment to give the opportunity to young players.

‘If you call a young player for a World Cup qualifier, it means one thing. If you call a young player for a friendly game when you are sure of playing in the World Cup, this is another thing because you can experiment. It is a different pressure. ‘We must understand tthe two different situations. Totally different.

I will be happy for Southgate to call tthem up for the World Cup. It would be a great opportunity and would mean they are ready to play for a great team.’ Conte said Michael Emenalo’s decision to step down as Chelsea’s technical director was a ‘big loss’ and side-stepped questions about his desire to answer a crisis call from his native Italy after their failure to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years.

‘I am very focused on doing my best for Chelsea,’ said Conte. ‘I am totally committed to the club.

‘My feeling is the same as any Italian person. I am very sad.

‘You know very well the importance of football in Italy. We must use the moment to reflect and try to find the right solution not only with words, but also with facts.’