Conte on Luiz’s knee, Costa’s future, Chelsea’s youngsters, Wolves game, Musonda and Arsene Wenger
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was asked about a number of issues at his press conference ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Wolves on Saturday. Here’s some of what he had to say.
On team news
“John Terry is fit for this game, he is okay. All the players are available but for sure there are situations that are better to keep under control.
“For Marcos Alonso, [we want] to give him a bit of rest – also for David Luiz, we have the opportunity to give him a week to recover well and to prepare for the next game. All the players are in good form, I have only the problem to make the best choices for the game.”
On David Luiz
“He has improved a lot, if you compare his knee after the game against Man City. His knee is good. He’s doing a training session with the physical coach.”
On a new contract for Diego Costa
“I don’t know about this situation. I think now it’s very important to be focused on the present and not to look so far forward. Then at the end of the season, we’ll see the situation.
“I’m confident [of him staying] but I repeat now it’s important to keep the great concentration for the present, tomorrow’s game against Wolverhampton.
“This situation would be better to face at the end of the season.”
On the possibility of winning the Double
“I like to try to win, with my team, every competition in every season. But it won’t be easy in the league or in the FA Cup.
“But if you ask me if I want to try to win both, yeah, for sure, because we must have this winning mentality.
“When you are Chelsea’s coach or you are a Chelsea player you must have this ambition to try to win every competition that you play.
“But for sure it won’t be easy because in the league there are six teams who are very strong, [who want] to fight until the end to win the title. In the FA Cup, now there are 16 teams.
“Our target now is to go into the next round. But tomorrow the game won’t be easy. Don’t forget, Wolverhampton won against Liverpool away and won against Stoke away.
“We must pay great attention because this team showed in the recent past that they have the possibility to beat great teams [such] as Liverpool and Stoke City. I hope tomorrow the result will be different and Chelsea will go into the next round.”
On Arsene Wenger
“I have great respect for Arsene Wenger as a manager and as a man. I think that he’s done a good job for 20 years at Arsenal and is doing a great job in the present.
“When you are the coach of a great team, you are under pressure in every moment – above all, if there is a moment that the result is not good.
“But I think Arsene Wenger is a really good manager, one of the best in the world. I have great respect for him and his team because for me they are very strong, and they have a good idea of football.
“At the moment their results are not good, but I think that it’s important you don’t forget the work the coach and the players have done in the past and they are doing in the present.”
On referee Mark Clattenburg’s departure to Saudi Arabia
“It’s a pity, honestly, because Clattenburg is really good. It’s not good news for us, because it’s important to have the best in the country.
“He is one of the best referees in the country and to see that he prefers to go abroad, it’s a pity. I have great confidence in the referees in England but if you ask me I’m a bit sorry for this.”
On Dominic Solanke’s future
“Solanke now is a Chelsea player but I don’t know his future. I wish for him and his family the best. I’m not sure [if he will leave], but I think this is his will.
“For a young player to stay in a great team as Chelsea is a great opportunity.
“I have spoken with him, to try to understand his will. But we must have a great respect of every decision a player can take.”
On his team selection against Wolves
“It could be a good opportunity to see some players that now are not playing a lot. But for sure we want to go into the next round. It’s very important to find the right balance, to make the best choices.
“Also, I don’t want a lot of my players to stop for 14 days and then to restart because this could be very dangerous for us. This competition is very important for us, for the club, for our fans, for the team.”
On Chelsea’s FA Youth Cup success
“The academy is doing a really great job. Now in my squad we have a lot of young players – [Nathaniel] Chalobah, [Nathan] Ake, Ruben [Loftus-Cheek], Ola Aina.
“It’s important to have this link with the first team and exploit the work of the academy. The young players that stay with me now, they stay with me because they deserve it and not because I want to give them a gift.
“I hope in the future to absorb many players from our academy.”
On Charly Musonda
“He is not in the squad for tomorrow. He is working very hard in the training sessions, but also needs supplementary work with the physical coach.
“Tomorrow he’ll play with the Under-23s because they have a good game against Manchester City. I think it’s better for him to play a whole game and then in the next games if he deserves to come with us, I am open for this eventuality.”
