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Antonio Conte rips into Chelsea players and plans to replace Michy Batshuayi in January
Antonio Conte has delivered two damning post-Crystal Palace assessments of his Chelsea players and is already looking to replace Michy Batshuayi in January as he attempts to cope with injuries and the club’s busy fixture schedule.
Victor Moses became the third Chelsea player in two weeks to suffer a hamstring injury and is set to miss at least four weeks after going off in the defeat to Palace.
Alvaro Morata is hoping to return from his hamstring problem to face Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday night, but Conte is said to have been in a dark mood since Saturday and fears his worst fears over the consequences of the summer transfer window could come true.
Telegraph Sport understands head coach Conte ripped into his squad in the immediate aftermath of the Palace defeat and then launched a full-scale inquest into what went wrong and where Chelsea must improve in training on Sunday.
Conte accused his players of taking their foot off the gas against Palace and warned them that they will have to work much harder if they are to enjoy successful Premier League and Champions League campaigns.
But the workload has been taking its toll, as medical experts believe that the increased number of games the Champions League has brought this season, together with international commitments and tough training sessions, is behind the recent spate of hamstring injuries.
Midfielder N’Golo Kante is likely to miss all of October, while right wing-back Moses could miss the vital Premier League game against Manchester United on November 5th.
Although Morata is expected to return against Roma, Conte is already well aware that he cannot afford his first-choice striker to suffer any sort of long-term injury before the transfer window reopens in January.
Batshuayi put in another ineffective performance in Morata’s absence on Saturday and could not hide his frustration at being replaced by Pedro in just the 57th minute.
Sources insist Batshuayi was angry with himself, rather than with Conte, and Chelsea are putting together a list of potential striker targets for January.
Batshuayi would have been loaned out if Chelsea had signed Fernando Llorente, who joined Tottenham Hotspur instead, and that could still be the case in January if the Blues can find a more reliable deputy to Morata.
Conte is an admirer of Christian Benteke, who is yet to score for Crystal Palace this season and is currently injured, while Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy has been considered by Chelsea in the past.
Chelsea scouts are reportedly due to watch Red Star Belgrade striker Richmond Boakye against Arsenal this week, although Chelsea may feel they need a striker with Premier League experience to come in during the New Year.
Batshuayi is yet to score in the Premier League this season and put the ball into his own net in unfortunate circumstances against Tottenham Hotspur before Marcos Alonso spared his blushes with a late winner.
Conte has made no secret of the fact he fears his Chelsea squad is too small to compete in both the Premier League and Champions League this season.
Other than missing out on Llorente, Chelsea failed to sign one of Conte’s principle summer targets, left-back Alex Sandro, and saw Ross Barkley turn them down on deadline day.
Midfielder Danny Drinkwater is yet to make his debut following his £35million move from Leicester City because of a calf injury, which, with Kante out, has left Conte considering moving Andreas Christensen or David Luiz into midfield against Roma.
Chelsea played with three central midfielders against Atletico Madrid, with Morata and Eden Hazard up front, and produced their best performance of the season so far.
Davide Zappacosta replaced Moses at Selhurst Park and looks set for an extended stint at right wing-back, although Conte has claimed Antonio Rudiger can also play in the position.
Roma have big injury problems of their own after defender Kostas Manolas was forced off during Saturday’s defeat to Napoli with a thigh strain.
The Italians have already been without Stephan El Shaaraway, Patrik Schick, Kevin Strootman, Gergoire Defrel and Emerson Palmieri. Sources close to the Serie A club believe they could arrive at Stamford Bridge with only 14 senior players and having to fill up the substitutes’ bench with rookies.