Antonio Conte has told his Chelsea players he still expects a strong start to the Premier League season despite having a small squad.
Chelsea begin their campaign at home to Burnley on Saturday with just 14 experienced players available.
Eden Hazard, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Pedro are not fit after injury while Victor Moses is suspended.
With Chelsea expecting to make four more signings before the transfer window closes this month, it could take a while before Conte’s men hit peak form.
Antonio Conte starts his Premier League defence on the back of a disappointing Community Shield loss to Arsenal. With the absence of star men Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, Conte’s side have struggled to turn up this pre-season.
Michy Batshuayi will be hoping to prove his worth to the Italian and can expect to start against Burnley on Saturday having enjoyed a respectable offseason.
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