Antonio Conte and his Chelsea players may have been “scared” and “afraid” during a turbulent flight to London, but he is offering no “excuses” ahead of this weekend’s clash with Liverpool.
Chelsea’s return from their Champions League win at Qarabag was complicated as the aircraft landed at the second attempt – the first was aborted due to strong winds at Gatwick – and Conte and his players finally got to their beds at 6am.
But the Italian is refusing to allow anything to distract from the task at hand this weekend. “It was a problem to land. In these circumstances you feel a bit afraid, a bit scared,” he said. “To get to your house at 6am is not simple. To have only one day to prepare for a big game, especially to have only one day to rest, is not right. “But at the same time we must be focused on the game, a big game against Liverpool. Don’t find excuses.”
Chelsea head into the game for a reunion with a “very dangerous” Mohamed Salah, who joined the London club in January 2014, having impressed playing against them for Swiss side Basel. But the Egypt forward was soon loaned out to Fiorentina and then Roma, making the latter move permanent in 2016 before joining Liverpool last summer.