Antonio Conte takes another swipe at Chelsea's recruitment policy with new signings not fit to make debuts
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Antonio Conte has aimed another dig at Chelsea's recruitment policy by complaining his new signings are not fit to go straight into action.
The Blues boss gave Ross Barkley his first start of the season in the defeat to Bournemouth and subbed him after 54 difficult minutes.
And Conte said Olivier Giroud and Emerson Palmieri are not ready to start in Monday night's game at Watford.
“We have to wait,” he said. “Especially for Palmieri, we are talking about a player who is coming back from a bad injury. He has played only one game, in the Italian Cup against Torino.
"Olivier is coming back from a muscular injury and was out for 50 days before playing 15 minutes against Swansea.
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
(Image: REUTERS)
“We are starting to work with him and we have to check his physical condition. For sure, it won't be easy to see him in the starting 11 on Monday.”
Chelsea could be out of the top four by the time they kickoff at Vicarage Road and another defeat would increase the pressure on Conte's position. But the former Juventus and Italy coach said:
“The speculation doesn't affect me. This season, the situation has always been the same, with a lot of pressure around me. And I don't understand why always around me. But maybe it is because this is Chelsea.
"This is the only answer I'm having. But the pressure is normal. In the past, for me the pressure is life. If I stay without pressure, I don't like it. I don't like it. I like to have the pressure.
(Image: REUTERS)
"I like this type of situation. If I see there is no pressure, it's no good for me or the players. When the situation is too calm, you risk being relaxed and to lose the anger, the fire. I like to live with this pressure.”
The Chelsea boss was named among the candidates for the vacant Italy job yesterday and Alessandro Costacurta wants to start an interviewing process.
But Conte, who led Italy to Euro 2016, said: “Costacurta is a friend - we played together with the national team in 1994. But, maybe he forgot that I still have 18 months of contract with Chelsea.
"My intention, my will, my desire is to respect this contract. Do I have plans to speak with him? No.”
Alvaro Morata and Thomas Christensen will both be out on Monday but Willian should return while David Luiz has returned to full training.