It’s tough at the top
Conte blames Chelsea’s injury woes on hectic schedule
LONDON: Antonio Conte says the injury problems that threaten to derail Chelsea’s season have been caused by his side’s increased workload.
Conte’s team have lost their last two English Premier League matches against Manchester City and Crystal Palace as the injury bug bites.
France midfielder N’Golo Kante is sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring problem while England midfielder Danny Drinkwater is a long-term absentee due to a calf injury.
Spain striker Alvaro Morata missed the shock 2-1 defeat at Palace with a hamstring strain, while Nigeria wing-back Victor Moses limped off during Saturday’s game after suffering a hamstring problem.
Chelsea’s lengthy injury list is a stark contrast to last season, when Conte was able to field the same starting line- up most weeks.
The Blues were able to focus on the Premier League with little disruption last term after failing to qualify for Europe.
But with the additional demands of the Champions League this season, Conte’s squad is already being stretched to breaking point.
Some reports have claimed the intense Conte is working his players too hard in training but the Italian is convinced it is the fixture schedule that is playing havoc with his players’ fitness.
“The problem is we are playing always the same players,” Conte told reporters on Tuesday.
“And also we have players in our team who are not used to playing three games in a week. Kante, it’s the first time. For Moses, the first time.
“For Morata, it’s the first time to play regularly for his team. For Alonso it’s the same.
“When you have a lot of games, you need to rotate players.
“If this is not possible, I have to take risks.
“For example, against Manchester City: Morata was injured after 20 minutes.
“But if I hadn’t put Morata in the starting XI, you’d have told me I’m crazy. Sometimes the players need to rest.”
Having expressed his frustration at Chelsea’s failure to land his top transfer targets during the close-season, Conte fears the English champions will struggle to cope with the demands of defending the title and competing in Europe. — AFP