Chelsea stars suffering under "impossible" workload says Antonio Conte as he rules Alvaro Morata out of Huddersfield trip
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Antonio Conte has admitted his Chelsea players are running on empty after claiming it was always going to be “impossible” to defend their title.
The champions' ten-goal top scorer Alvaro Morata has been ruled out of Tuesday's trip to Huddersfield after the manager claimed he had a bad back and was feeling “tired.”
That is symptomatic of their problems as boss Conte had another dig at the club’s transfer policy, complained about their fixture pile-up and even said they are still suffering from their exhaustive pre-season tour to Asia.
He confirmed: “Morata is out, because he’s a bit tired and there is a problem in his back. He is out.
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
“I think when you play every three days, it is impossible to have a training session and to work on the physical aspects. It’s impossible. It’s impossible because you have to prepare with the players for a game every three days.
“I think we have to face the reality and will try to do our best. If I stay here to complain it is not the right way. We have to try to do our best.
“For sure it is difficult because 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.
(Image: Reuters)
“We have to try to do our best.
“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. It’s normal.
“But I repeat we have to find the best solution. We have to find more rotations. I’m doing this, we will try and do our best with hunger and desire. We will fight.”
Chelsea have already fallen 14 points behind leaders Manchester City and Conte effectively waved the white flag after losing at West Ham on Saturday.
(Image: AFP/Getty)
The Londoners spent £190m in the summer - £40m midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has been the biggest disappointment - but it was clearly not enough for Conte.
The Italian also seemed to deliberately absolve himself from any blame over signings.
Conte, who very publicly voiced his frustrations at not getting more players in the summer, pointedly insisted he could only recommend targets and then it was up to the club to deliver.
It is very quickly falling apart for Conte and another defeat in the next few games will ramp up the pressure on the beleaguered Chelsea boss.
Conte added: “In every team, the coach speaks to his club. We can have an idea but you can have an idea in summer. But the final decision is always the club’s.
"That will be the same in January. It is right to do this, I’m only the coach and not sporting director or manager.
“I don’t know what will happen in January. January now is far. In December we have to play a lot of games. In January it’s the same. I don’t know, I don’t know because in January you have to wait the right time to adapt them [new players] in our idea of football.
“Now we have to face this solution with these players. We have to be ready to fight. We have to be ready to face this situation with the right desire.
“I don’t like to look too far, or to find solutions that at this moment are not possible.
“Last season we faced the season with 13 players, 13 players played regularly. This season we tried to add two or three players to be 16 or 17 to try to face every competition.
“I have to be realistic, we have to face this situation with these players. I’m happy to play with these players. January is too far and I don’t know what will happen on January.
“I’m the coach, I can give my opinion, but the club has to take the best decision in the summer, in January, next summer.
“It’s normal, this.”