CHELSEA stars are growing unhappy at the way Antonio Conte is flogging them hard on the training ground.
Blues boss Conte has imposed a punishing schedule on his players which has seen them hardly enjoy a day off between matches.
But the Times say the Chelsea squad is now getting fed up with the workload being placed on them at a time when injuries are crippling the group.
The London club’s defence of their Premier League title is already hanging by a thread after two straight defeats.
And the 3-3 draw at home to Roma in the Champions League mean they are now without a win in three matches ahead of their clash with Watford on Saturday.
The poor run of form has coincided with a series of injuries to key players which has left the squad looking threadbare.
Yet manager Conte is still working his players hard on the training ground and not giving them days off after matches.
The Italian achieved success with his physical demands last season when intensive training and tactical sessions helped them win the title.
But that schedule was used without the club playing any European football – yet Conte is sticking with the same approach even though there is far more workload for his team this season.
After last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to bottom club Crystal Palace, the boss had his players in on Sunday and they did not have a day off before the Roma match on Wednesday.
They were again straight back in for a session on Thursday, and trained today ahead of their clash with the fourth-placed Hornets tomorrow.
The Times claim some players are feeling fatigued with so much intensity with little break, and there are questions whether the punishing schedule is contributing to the injury crisis at the club.
Alvaro Morata has only just returned from a hamstring strain, and a similar injury has ruled N’Golo Kante out for a month.
Victor Moses suffered a hamstring strain against Palace, while David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko also reported muscle strains after the Roma match.
Conte has openly admitted he feels he is working with a squad that is too small to cope with the demands of Premier League and European football.
And now the Chelsea board are understood to be growing frustrated at the manager’s excuses for the poor run of form.
