Nightmare Barcelona draw again for Chelsea

Squad stretched to limit, says worried Conte Injured Morata ruled out of Huddersfield trip

Chelsea’s difficulties intensified yesterday when they were faced with a nightmare Champions League draw against Barcelona and lost record signing Alvaro Morata to a back injury.

Just seven days ago, Conte was preparing his side to try to secure top spot in Champions League Group C on the back of six victories in seven Premier League games and Morata’s first goal in four matches.

His team were then punished for failing to beat Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge last Tuesday night and must now renew their rivalry with Barcelona following a series of 10 often deeply controversial Champions League fixtures between 2005 and 2012.

One good omen for Chelsea is that they did beat Barcelona before winning the 2012 European Cup, but yesterday’s draw worsens an already daunting schedule in February and March when they will play Barcelona twice as well as Manchester City and Manchester United away in a little more than three weeks.

Conte is already worried that his squad is not big enough to cope and, after losing on Saturday against West Ham United, will be without Morata for tonight’s Premier League trip to Huddersfield Town. “If I stay here to complain it is not the right way,” said Conte. “For sure, it is difficult. To face a game every three days is not simple, especially if your squad is not big, but at the same time we have to face this situation.

“For sure, some players can be tired. That’s normal because some players are playing from this summer and our tours in China and Singapore. We have to find more rotations. Last season, we faced the season with 13 players regularly.

“This season we tried to add two or three players to be 16 or 17 to try to face every competition. It is not simple to face all competitions in a moment where you are building.”

Despite winning their group, Tottenham Hotspur also face a huge challenge to progress into the Champions League quarter-finals after drawing Italian champions Juventus but there were theoretically easier last-16 ties for Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool. With five English teams through to the knockout phase, Conte knows that this could be the

year for an English club to win the tournament but also warned that fatigue might be a factor by spring. The Premier League is the only major European league that does not have a winter break.

“It’ll be difficult to face English teams, especially in February,” said

Conte. “In March or April, I don’t know, because when you accumulate many games in the legs of the players it will be more difficult for English teams to reach something important.

“When you play every three days it is impossible to have a training

session and to work on the physical aspects. It is normal that you play with the same players and then they also lose some physical condition.”

Chelsea will look to keep strengthening in January with the club preparing a new offer for Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, still