CHELSEA fear Cesc Fabregas may be their only fit senior midfielder for the crunch Premier League clash with Watford.
The Premier League champions have been crippled by an injury crisis which has exposed the lack of depth in Antonio Conte’s squad.
And the Chelsea boss says he will not know until a couple of hours before kick-off tomorrow just what players he will be able to choose from to face the Hornets.
Conte is already without N’Golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater and Victor Moses for the lunchtime kick-off at Stamford Bridge.
But Tiemoue Bakayoko and David Luiz are both battling to be fit in time to face Watford, who are two points ahead of the Blues in fourth in the table.
Asked about his team news for the game, Conte said: “At the moment I can tell you nothing about the starting eleven for tomorrow
“I hope in this 24 hours we will try to recover some players.
“Cesc Fabregas may be the only fit senior midfielder available.”
If Bakayoko and makeshift midfielder Luiz are both absent after suffering muscle strains against Roma, Conte may be forced to turn to teenage novices against the in-form Hornets.
Kyle Scott, 19, and seventeen-year-old Ethan Ampadu have both been training with the first team and may get their first Premier League starts at Stamford Bridge.
Conte knows he desperately needs a victory after two straight Premier League defeats which have left his side nine points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
The Italian is under increasing pressure from his board, and there are also claims the players are unhappy at how hard he is working them in training.
The squad have hardly had a day-off since returning from the international break, and there are suggestions the full-on training schedule is playing a part in so many injuries.
But Conte defended his managerial methods and insists he has tapered down his preparations for games.
He said: “My methods are the same as last season when we won the league.
“Honestly we are working 70 per cent less this season, maybe that is why we are in trouble.
“There is a tactical and physical aspect. When you play every two days it is impossible to work on the physical aspect, and you have less time to pay attention to the detail.”
