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Conte gives Roma bad news about Morata

Conte gives Roma bad news about Morata

Forward Alvaro Morata missed Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday with a hamstring problem. But Chelsea expect to have the Spaniard at the very least on the bench at Stamford Bridge tomorrow against Roma.

Asked about Morata’s availability, his teammate Marcos Alonso said: “He is ready. I don’t know if he is going to start but he has been an important player for us.”

Immediately after, manager Antonio Conte confirmed that Morata will be available for their Champions League clash. The Italian said, "Alvaro is in contention for tomorrow’s game. He has been training with us and is in contention."

Morata has scored seven goals for Chelsea this season following his move from Real Madrid in the summer.

The Blues have looked blunt up front without him. Michy Batshuayi was overlooked as a replacement for Morata during the defeat to Manchester City, with Antonio Conte instead bringing on Willian.

Batshuayi got his chance at Selhurst Park on Saturday but struggled to make an impact on the game. Discussing the weekend loss, which saw Chelsea slip nine points behind Premier League leaders City, Alonso said: “I think the truth is it wasn’t our best game.

“It was good to motivate us and make us work hard to improve. Football is a sport that changes very quick. We have a chance to do that tomorrow. We weren’t good enough on Saturday, we have to work hard to try to win the next game.”