Conte draws no comfort from latest date in his diary

Having confronted his feud with Jose Mourinho in the most extraordinary fashion, Antonio Conte must now turn his attention towards another pressing problem: a heavy fixture list.

Saturday’s draw with Norwich City will be remembered for Conte’s remarkable outburst at Mourinho, in which he called the Manchester United manager a “little man” and a “fake”, than for anything that occurred on the Carrow Road pitch. But the 0-0 result is significant for Conte as it adds another match onto a crammed schedule. The replay will take place at Stamford Bridge next week, the one time of the month when Chelsea were not scheduled to play in midweek. However, it may have been even worse for Conte’s side, who could easily have lost to Daniel Farke’s impressive Norwich outfit.

“This game hasn’t been easy for us,” Conte said. “These types of games are very tough. Now we have to play the replay. It won’t be easy because our schedule is very busy.”

The unwanted fixture could provide an opportunity for new signing Ross Barkley to make his first appearance – if he’s fit enough to return after seven months out.

Barkley, a £15 million capture from Everton, trained for the first time as a Chelsea player yesterday having not played all season because of a hamstring injury.

Barkley will also have to adjust to Conte’s style of play, which has proved a lengthy process for other Conte signings. Conte said last month that midfielders Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater, both of whom played against Norwich, were still adjusting to Chelsea’s tactical approach after joining in the summer.

“Before playing, we must be sure that he is into our idea of football,” Conte said of Barkley. “Otherwise it’s a problem for him and the team.” Asked how long it would take for Barkley to reach full fitness, Conte said: “I don’t know. It is important for me to understand his physical condition, to improve his physical condition, to work with us, into our ideas.”

Barkley will add to Conte’s options in central midfield, but also in the attacking positions behind centre-forward.

“I think he can play in midfield, if we play with three midfielders, or No 10,” said Conte, who added that Barkley, 24, has “the quality to score more goals”. Barkley will hope the move helps him back into the England’s summer World Cup squad. “We are talking about a player [Barkley] with great talent,” said Conte. “We have five months to show he deserves a call with the national team. I hope, because it means he will do very well with us.” son John, the vice-chairman, plus Tony Scholes, the chief executive, will lead the search for a successor.

Rowett, 43, has guided Derby to second place in the Championship and established an excellent reputation after spells with Birmingham City and Burton Albion. O’neill is also a target as he has proven Premier League experience and could be tempted into a return to club football, despite a new contract with Ireland being on the table.

Hughes’s dismissal took away some of the focus from Coventry’s deserved triumph, masterminded by his former Manchester United team-mate Mark Robins.

With Coventry still in the grip of the detested Sisu regime, the problems will not be removed with this win, but this was a day to remember for their long-suffering fans.

Jack Grimmer, who scored the winner after Charlie Adam’s penalty had cancelled out Jordan Willis’s opener, said: “It has been well documented the club has had its issues, and where they find themselves now. This was a day to give back to the fans.”