Passionate Conte in need of a good sleep

CHELSEA head coach Antonio Conte has been suffering sleepless nights ahead of today’s fourthround clash at home to Newcastle.

The tie is the Blues’ eighth match of nine in January.

And so far Chelsea have won just one of those fixtures, last weekend’s league win at Brighton, while they squeezed past Norwich on penalties in a third-round replay.

Conte, who is expected to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, claimed: ‘I live this job with great passion, with great love and sometimes I don’t sleep.’

The Italian reviews his team’s performances on nights when he cannot sleep, which may not be an ideal remedy if those performances are the reason he is being kept awake.

‘When I don’t sleep I usually continue to work with the computer also because I don’t want to create problems with my wife,’ he added.

‘I go to the living room and then sometimes I start to work, to watch the game or to try to find a new solution. To watch the game many times is important to understand positive things and negative things and to try to improve your team, especially when you lose.

‘For me, it is important to understand quickly the reason we lost.’

Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is the latest name to be linked with Conte’s job.

Enrique’s availability — he left the Nou Camp in the summer — has elevated him above the likes of Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone, who have two years to run on their deals.

Meanwhile, transfer-window signing Ross Barkley is poised to make his full Chelsea debut today.