Eden Hazard scored twice as Chelsea battled to a 3-3 draw with Roma to stay top of Champions League Group C.
Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has criticised the display of Davide Zappacosta as compared to Victor Moses in Chelsea’s 3-3 draw against Roma in the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea and Roma are getting ready to play in the Champions League on Wednesday as Antonio Conte, leading his team at home against a Roma team coming off a defeat to Napoli, are looking to regain their momentum after their own league loss to Crystal Palace.
Chelsea FC’s defender who’s on loan to Hull City, Ola Aina could be in line for his first international start next month, Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has confirmed.
Coach Gernot Rohr started right-back off the bench earlier this month to make his debut as the Super Eagles became the first African side to seal qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia with a win over Zambia.
However, with a dead rubber qualifying game against Algeria still to play in November, the Hull City loanee could be in line for a full debut and he will be hoping to stake a claim to be involved in Rohr ’s squad next summer.
While the coach is mindful of attaining a strong FIFA ranking ahead of the World Cup draw, he admits the game is a good opportunity to give the fringe players a chance to impress.
”Well, it is a possibility to use the opportunity to see some of the players we have not seen so much of them,” Rohr told reporters.
Manager Antonio Conte said he hopes to have Victor Moses back in action soon after the wing-back pulled an hamstring in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to struggling Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Moses started the game but limped out of the game after 40 minutes after going down with a suspected hamstring as he charged forward to help Chelsea set up an attack with scores tied at 1-1.
The Nigerian who had a hand in the leveller scored by Chelsea by winning the corner kick that lead to the goal watched on from the bench as Wilfred Zaha struk what ended as the winner, one minutes after the restart.
Back at the club where he started his career, the Nigerian was given a standing ovation by the home fans as the doctors helped him out of the pitch with what informed sources say is a harmsting injury.
Although he is set to undergo scan to determine the severity of the injury initial reports suggest he could be out for a minimum of six weeks, which effectively rules him out of Nigeria’s next World Cup 2018 Qualifiers against Algeria in Algiers
Antonio Conte says he left Victor Moses out of Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City to rest the player rather than any tactical reason.
The champions’ squad depth has been a recurring issue out of what was a frustrating transfer window for the Italian, and Conte also admitted that his more defensive performance against Pep Guardiola’s team – was partly down to trying to manage the more congested schedule.
Conte also said that schedule was on his mind when he decided to risk Alvaro Morata for the game, even though the Spanish striker eventually had to go off after 36 minutes with a hamstring concern. Conte later stated that the forward’s injury was not “serious”, even though he is unlikely to play for Spain in next week’s two international matches.
“To play three games in seven days is not simple, above all for our wing-backs,” Conte said. “Moses played two whole games against Stoke [City] and Atletico, [Marcos] Alonso played one and a half games, because against Stoke I changed him after 10 minutes. Then you have to try to not put your difficulty players in difficulty, and not to risk this type of player, because Moses for us is an important player, and to play three games in only seven days, it means that you risk.
“I think you know very well that Manchester City is a really good team. We have to try to send out the best formation in type of game. Its very difficult to put young players into this type of game.
Also because when there are these massive games you have to try to make the best decisions. To try to send out the best players to play this game.
The players were the same players that played against Atletico Madrid and apart from that, Moses. We also put in [Antonio] Rudiger.”
“I am proud to be the coach of these players. I see the commitment every day, but for sure to defend the title is very difficult it is very difficult for every team in this league. To defend – it is very difficult to win two titles in a row. Our motivation has to be high in every competition, to do the best in every game. The sometimes you must accept, must understand, it will not always go to plan.
[Italy] was a completely different situation because we won the title with Juventus and I was expecting a really strong challenge from AC Milan, but instead they sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris St Germain, so they became weaker. It wasn’t simple second time, but it was easier. Here, from last season to this season, you have big teams – and now they are bigger.”
Conte also revealed that he will go home to Italy for the international break. “To be sure, I need a bit of rest.”
Antonio Conte says that Alvaro Morata was taken off more as a precaution in the first half of the game and does not believe it is “serious”, but said he is likely to stay in London this week rather than travel with the Spanish team.
The striker went off after just 36 minutes, gesturing to his hamstring after telling Content of his intentions to be replaced .
“It’s a muscular problem,” Conte said. “I don’t think it’s a serious problem because he stopped before it will become a serious injury.
He said to me ‘coach I prefer to stop myself otherwise I risk a bad injury’. I don’t know. The doctor now in the next days has to check the situation, but I don’t think he’s available for the national team.
“It’s normal when you play three massive games in only seven days, you must consider this aspect. We needed to take this risk because Morata for us is an important player.”
Conte however did not go for a like-for-like replacement, bringing on Willian and putting Eden Hazard up front as a false nine, rather than introducing Michy Batshuayi.
“It was a simple tactical decision,” Conte said. “This type of game I thought Willian with Hazard was a good decision, to try to exploit the space behind the defenders. It’s a simple tactical decision.”
A somewhat toothless Chelsea were eventually beaten by a Kevin De Bruyne goal, and had generally looked outclassed, but Conte did not express too much concern at that in public as he also reflected on how difficult the champions’ opening fixtures have been.
Chelsea have had to face four of last season’s top seven in their opening seven games.
“Last season Manchester City was a very good team, very strong. I think after this transfer market they improved a lot.
They strengthened. I think so. But I repeat: it’s right to compliment them, compliment our opponent.
This is football. We have to accept the result, above all because today we know that we gave everything.”
