BARK CAN GIVE US BITE
Desperate Conte will ask midfield ace Ross to solve his striker crisis
CHELSEA are hoping Ross Barkley will help solve their goalscoring crisis at Brighton this weekend.
Antonio Conte has yet to win a game over 90 minutes in 2018, with all five of their matches so far drawn. Three of those games have finished goalless.
Despite 26 goal attempts over 120 minutes in their FA Cup replay win over Norwich on Wednesday, Chelsea scored just once, through Michy Batshuayi. They went on to win on penalties. Barkley started a behind-closeddoors practice match on Thursday, netting twice in a 3-2 win over QPR.
The Champions are now hopeful that he could feature in their Premier League game at Brighton tomorrow, with both Pedro and Alvaro Morata suspended.
Conte has already admitted he is hoping to inspire Barkley to provide the strikes they badly need from midfield,
following his £15million capture from Everton.
The Blues boss said: “I think he has
the quality to score more goals. My priority, before that, is to convince the player to work for the team.
“If you are able to work for the team, the team will then exalt your characteristics.
“We are talking about a talented player and we are happy to have him in our squad.”
England star Barkley has not featured at all for club or country this season, but he is fit again after undergoing surgery on his leg muscle prior to his January 5 move to Stamford Bridge.
With Cesc Fabregas suffering a hamstring injury, Conte could scrap his usual plan of easing his new signings in gently and play Barkley from the start.
The Italian has twice publicly called on his players to sharpen up their act – after their League Cup draw with Arsenal last week and after their Premier League blank against Leicester City. At lunchtime tomorrow, Eden Hazard is set to reprise his role up front as a false No.9, with Conte still unwilling to start striker Batshuayi.
The former Marseille marksman remains surplus to requirements, with Sevilla now the favourites to sign him.
Conte is also hoping to land £20m Roma defender Emerson Palmieri.
Talks have already begun over what would be “dream” move for the Brazil-born left-back, according to his agent.
The bid to get Palmieri comes after Juventus refused to sell their coveted star Alex Sandro.