Injury Boosr for Antonio Conte as Danny Drinkwater Finally Returns to Full Training with Chelsea First-team

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has received a welcome injury boost after summer signing Danny Drinkwater finally took part in training with the rest of the first-team squad. The £35m arrival from Leicester City is yet to make his debut for the club, having been ruled out of action with a calf injury picked up before he moved to west London. Since then, Chelsea’s squad has been ravaged by injury, with Alvaro Morata, N’Golo Kante and Victor Moses all picking up hamstring injuries amid concerns over Conte’s training methods.

Kante will definitely miss the weekend the weekend clash at home to Watford, with Conte picking a midfield three of David Luiz, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Cesc Fabregas in his absence against Roma. But neither Luiz nor Bakayoko were spotted in training on Thursday, with Chelsea posting a video on their YouTube account on Friday morning, with some reports suggesting they are carrying niggles.

At least Conte will soon be able to call on Drinkwater, with the England international taking to the training pitch for the first time this week – though he is not expected to be in contention for the Watford clash. Nevertheless, his potential return will be a massive relief, especially with Chelsea facing such a demanding fixture list.

Having already played twice since the close of the international break, Chelsea now have to contend with five games across the next 16 days.

Conte may see the midweek Carabao Cup tie against Everton as the ideal opportunity to give Drinkwater his first minutes of the season, with that match followed by league clashes against Bournemouth and Manchester United either side of an away trip to Rome. Conte’s already small squad is being stretched to breaking point with all their current injury problems, with some players reportedly fearing that his gruelling regime is the cause.

Comments

Roma Midfielder Signs New Deal with Italian Club

Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan has signed a new four-year contract with the Serie A club. The 29-year-old Belgium international had been linked with Manchester United in Italian media, while Chelsea were also reported to be interested. This was coupled by suggestions that Nainggolan was growing impatient with the numerous delays in receiving a contract proposal from the capital club. However, the 29-year-old has put any doubts about his future to bed by extending his contract until 2021, in a deal that will see him earn €4.5 million per season, including bonuses, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I think I have demonstrated that this is what I always wanted," Nainggolan said. "I'm very happy that the club and I can continue our adventure and move forward together." Nainggolan has played 161 times for Roma since joining from Cagliari in 2014. Nainggolan becomes the third senior central midfielder to extend their contract at Roma th...

Chelsea Winger Suffers 'Multiple Fractures', Says Chelsea Antonio Conte

Chelsea's Pedro has suffered multiple fractures from his collision with David Ospina in China, according to boss Antonio Conte. Ahead of the Blues' next pre-season clash with Bayern Munich in Singapore, Conte confirmed Pedro must wear a protective mask after 10 days of rehabilitation. Conte said: "The situation was more serious. I hoped it would be only concussion. He had multiple fractures but I think with a mask in 10 days he could come back to work with us." The Spaniard was clattered by Arsenal goalkeeper Ospina during their 3-0 win over Arsenal in Beijing on Saturday and was sent home to England with concussion the next day. The 29-year-old had left the field at Bird's Nest Stadium groggy and hobbling, with visible cuts to his face and head. Conte had initially been hopeful Pedro could join them in Singapore for the next leg of their tour but the forward said on Instagram: "What a shock. Fortunately everything is okay." Pedro ...

Alexis Sanchez is just what Manchester United Need, Says Fortmer Tottenham Manager

The signing of a proven world-class forward such as Alexis Sanchez is just what Manchester United need to compete for the biggest prizes, former Tottenham manager Gerry Francis has said. Sanchez, 29, joined United on a four-and-a-half-year contract from Arsenal on Monday, 22 January, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan moving in the opposite direction in a straight-swap deal. "Sanchez is a real goal-scorer, he's talented and he's aggressive around the box and he makes things happen, he can pull teams through," he told Sky Sports.Francis described the Chilean forward as a match-winner who will aid United in their quest to win silverware by adding some much-needed potency to their attack. "It's [about] the present, you're looking to win trophies and looking to win competitions and, sometimes, you need to buy and have the finished article and Sanchez is certainly that. "It just makes them as a squad that much stronger. Certainly, a much bigger goal-threat with Sa...

Plauseorminus

Search This Blog