Conte: Chelsea Not Title Favourites, Courtois Going Nowhere

Bojan Krkic wants to leave Stoke despite manager Mark Hughes having said he would get more game time, according to the Sun.

Upamecano, 18, is being considered by Barca as they weigh up future central defensive options, with the Gunners also keeping close tabs on the Frenchman.

“I think it is important that wherever you go, and certainly at top clubs, you are positive”, the Welshman said. For Michy, I think that he’s working very well, he’s improving a lot, and I’m sure that, in the future, he will have his chance to play.

Chelsea are reportedly lining up a move for Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente, with a view of adding cover for Diego Costa.

When morale is so high, it is a great time to introduce a young player for their debut because they will feel the buzz of the team, but these situations are rare.

Liverpool’s victory took them back to second place, six points below Chelsea, and they will stage the biggest game of the New Year weekend when third-place Manchester City visit Anfield on Saturday. Their opponents are struggling to deal with them, and it’s only really Tottenham who have mastered it – and they managed it for a mere 45 minutes.

Conte tends to prefer continuity in his team selection, but may rotate players who are exhausted out of the team. We are talking about a player who is 23. He has great talent, great potential, and I think it’s very important for him as a footballer to complete this season [here].

With 18 games played we are less than halfway through the season, with Chelsea now top of the pile on 46 points after their incredible 11-match winning streak.

They are vying for a seventh successive Premier League home win, which would be their best run since an 11-match sequence between March and November 2010.

“I always thought that he is quite a talented boy”. I left for Inter Milan, he stayed and had a superb loan spell at Atletico, where he played in the team which knocked Chelsea out of the 2014 Champions League.

The three man defence of Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta will start ahead of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Brazilian-born Spanish striker Diego Costa has hit good form with his goals, whilst Eden Hazard has overcome last season’s bad form by scoing his 50th goal in Chelsea colours against the Cherries, and is the sixth Blues player to do so.