BUT CONTE RUES ‘BIG LOSS’ OF HIS GOAL KING
ANTONIO CONTE was left with a bittersweet feeling after Alvaro Morata’s stoppage-time winner prompted the striker’s fifth booking of the season for his celebration. It means the club’s top goalscorer is suspended for Chelsea’s trip to Goodison Park for their Premier League clash with Sam Allardyce’s Everton on Saturday, and Conte fears the impact could be huge. The manager said: ‘He is a big loss for us, especially because we have to play a tough game against Everton. It is a pity. But we have to accept it.’ After this late win, Chelsea face Arsenal in the twolegged semi-finals, and Conte said: ‘The most important thing is we are in the semi-finals. Last season, if you remember, we were eliminated in the second round against West Ham. This season we must be happy with this achievement — to reach a semi-final in one of the two cups in England. It is great for us, especially because we reached the semi-final with a lot of rotation.’ Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, who described the exit as ‘heartbreaking’, believes Jermain Defoe has ankle ligament damage resulting from a tackle by Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu. Harry Arter was also taken off with a calf injury. ‘The players gave everything to get back into that game,’ Howe said. ‘In the second half we penned them in with waves of attacks and scored a great goal. It was bitterly disappointing what happened in those last few moments. It is too painful to watch the (decisive) goal again.’