Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte says striker Alvaro Morata will play an important role in the final stretch of the English Premier League, EPL.
He also said Morata now has the chance to boost his call up for Spain’s squad for the World Cup this year.
Chelsea hosts Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Yeah
Morata scored the last of his 10 league goals in this campaign in December as Chelsea beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0.
The 25-year-old was left out of Julen Lopetegui’s Spain squad for last week’s international friendlies against Germany and Argentina, but Conte said Morata had used the time during his enforced break to raise the level of his game.
“He has been working very well, and he needed to work hard. Now he is really fit and is ready to have an important end to the season for Chelsea,” Reuters quoted Conte as saying on Thursday.
A win for fifth-placed Chelsea in Sunday’s London derby will take them to 59 points, two points behind Tottenham in fourth.
The defending champions are looking to overtake Mauricio Pochettino’s side and seal a top-four finish that will ensure Champions League action next season.
Chelsea are also in the semifinals of the FA Cup where they take on Southampton and Conte is aware of the need to ensure a strong finish to a difficult season.
“These are our targets. Sunday is an important game because if we win we go very close – otherwise we continue to stay not so close and with seven games to go it will be difficult to take a place in the Champions League.”
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could miss the game after picking up a hamstring injury on international duty with Belgium while defender David Luiz is still battling a knee injury.
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