Antonio Conte has crushed any hopes that two of his key players will be available for the start of the season.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of Sunday’s season opening match against Arsenal in the Community Shield, Conte confirmed that both Eden Hazard, who broke his ankle on international duty with Belgium at the end of last season; and Tiemoue Bakayoko, who has signed from
Hazard and Bakayoko obviously out of shield, and next weekend's opening game, Conte confirms.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) August 4, 2017
Monaco despite still being bothered with a long running knee problem; will not be ready for this weekend.
It also seems likely that neither will be fit for the Premier League opening game against Burnley next weekend. Bakayoko is back in full training and is more likely to be available, but Eden Hazard looks set to miss several league games.
One bright spot for Chelsea is the return of Pedro, who will wear a facemask against Arsenal on Sunday.
