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Chelsea host Norwich this evening in their third round FA Cup replay and Blues boss Antonio Conte is expected to field a starting XI without Eden Hazard. The Belgian midfielder has lasted the full 90 minutes just once in his last eight games with Conte preferring to haul him off before the final whistle. Asked if he was concerned this might be alienating Hazard, Conte replied: “It is not important. I decide. I am the coach. My first task is to do the best for the team and the club, not to make every player happy.” When the point was pressed, an irritated Conte snapped: “Every press conference there is always this question about whether I’m worried about making my players happy. No. I’m worried to win, otherwise we would risk finishing 20th in the table.” The terse reaction suggests Conte is feeling the pressure ahead of tonight’s replay, no surprise given that his side are still without a win this year having drawn their last four encounters.
Furthermore, Chelsea have failed to score a goal in their last three outings, a worrying trend as next month’s Champions League last 16 clash with Barcelona creeps ever closer. “This is a real problem for us,” admitted Conte. “We are not conceding but the bad news is that we are not scoring. We have to improve in this aspect.” Inevitably, Conte was asked about Alexis Sanchez, with newspaper reports earlier in the week suggesting he was courting the Arsenal striker in the search for a goal-scorer. “I don’t know but I don’t think so,” replied Conte to a question about the possibility of signing the Chilean. “About the transfer market I prefer to talk to the club and give an opinion and I repeat I don’t want to give my opinion on that.”
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