Morata facing battle to avoid January exit
PLAYING TODAY: KO: 12pm CRYSTAL PAL v CHELSEA
ALVARO MORATA’S Chelsea career is hanging by a thread as he waits to find out if he will play any part in today’s match at Crystal Palace.
Morata has gone from being his team’s No1 striker to third choice behind reluctant forward Eden Hazard and perennial substitute Olivier Giroud.
Now manager Maurizio Sarri, who has chosen to play Hazard as a ‘false nine’ in recent matches, has refused to confirm if the Spaniard, 26, will even be in his 18-man squad at Selhurst Park.
Sarri said of Morata’s chances: “First of all I want to see the condition of the players. We have another training session and then we will decide. I don’t know. He is fit. Before it was only a tactical choice to leave him out.”
The problem for Morata is that even though Hazard prefers to play on the wing he has made a big impact in a central role.
The Belgian has four goals and two assists in the last four matches, DAVID LUIZ admits he and his Chelsea team-mates are unhappy about failing to challenge Liverpool for the top spot at year end.
“It’s a frustration,” the Blues defender (right) said. “If we want to be consistent in results, we have to be consistent in the way we play and then the results are going to come or not.
“It’s better to be consistent first and then the results can happen.” scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory at Watford last time out. Morata has scored only once in his last eight games and five in the Premier League all season.
He has started only three Premier League games since early November – and those were miserable defeats at Wolves and Tottenham, plus a goalless draw against Everton.
Sarri said: “Alvaro’s potential is that he’s a very good player.
But I think at the moment we need balance on the pitch and we need to be more solid. So, in the last few matches I preferred this solution.”
The Chelsea manager did add that “for the future everything is open” but Morata clearly has a battle on his hands to regain favour.
Sarri added: “I think that Alvaro is better in the box and maybe is better to attack spaces. But I have to say that Eden is improving. In the last matches he scored goals and attacked very well the spaces.”
Morata is being heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge next month. Barcelona and Juventus have been named as interested clubs, with Juve’s Gonzalo Higuain a possible replacement.
lot of teams finish on May 1 and you’ve got all that football weather. It’s great for the fans and we don’t play.
“So why not take a little break in the middle and use a bit of May and June? In the old days it was, ‘Well, you can’t because that’s the cricket season, that’s their time.’ “But, let’s be fair, that’s not the case any more.”