Antonio Conte coy over Alvaro Morata fitness for West Ham vs Chelsea clash

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Vaishali Bhardwaj8 December 2017

Antonio Conte refused to confirm whether Alvaro Morata is an injury doubt for Chelsea against West Ham, with David Luiz and Danny Drinkwater definitely out of Saturday's London derby.

Morata has hit the ground running at Chelsea since arriving from Real Madrid in the summer, and has scored nine Premier League goals already this season.

Standard Sport understands that the Spain striker pulled up in training on Friday morning and had to undergo a scan, although he did board Chelsea's team bus in the early afternoon as the squad travelled to their hotel.

But when asked to clarify which of his players could miss the trip to the London Stadium, Conte told reporters at Cobham: "We have to check a couple of situations, then to make the best decision for tomorrow's game against West Ham.

"I have to check the physical condition. After all these games it's normal to check a player could be tired. We must pay great attention to try to make the best decision, to try to find the right solution."

Luiz did not travel with his teammates on Friday, however, as the defender continues his recovery from a knee injury.

The Brazilian has inflammation in his right knee, and his recovery is being managed on a day-by-day basis. He will be joined on the sidelines by Drinkwater, who is sick.

Conte said of the pair: "David Luiz is out. Danny Drinkwater is out, because he's sick. This is the third day with a fever."

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