Chelsea deny Conte is about to be sacked

Chelsea have debunked rumours claiming they are set to sack head coach, Antonio Conte, labelling the stories as “utter nonsense”.

This comes after several leading bookmakers in the UK, suspended betting on Conte losing his job on Thursday, leading to speculation that the Italian could be leaving Stamford Bridge.

Conte only took over the Blues three months ago, replacing interim manager, Guus Hiddink.

Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, has become a regular visitor to their Cobham training centre, in the week after defeats to rivals Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League.

The Russian has taken time to observe training and discuss the team’s issues with Conte.

However, a source told ESPN FC, that Abramovich’s intentions were to encourage his head coach, rather than heap pressure on the former Juventus and Italy boss.

Chelsea defeated Hull City 2-0 before the international break and are currently sitting in seventh place. They take on champions Leicester City on Saturday at lunch time.

Conte took charge of first-team training on Thursday in preparation for the match and is expected to face the media on Friday.

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