“I think Alvaro is able to understand” – Maurizio Sarri explains why Alvaro Morata’s absence from first team may continue

Maurizio Sarri said at some point in his post-match interview that the decision not to start Alvaro Morata was only a ‘tactical’ one, but the Chelsea head coach also revealed he was not sure what the final decision will be on the choice to go without a striker after the experiment against Manchester City worked to perfection.

The Blues were expected to fail against one of the most in-form sides in Europe. Against Pep Guardiola’s team, most teams would setup up defensively and plant a huge figure up front as a target man. But Sarri went with Eden Hazard as a false nine and kept Oliver Giroud and Morata out of the starting line-up. In fact, the latter was not in the 18-man squad at all.

There were initial fears that the Spain international was gradually losing favor in the Chelsea team but Sarri has another angle to this debate.

The former Napoli trainer says Morata’s ommission was only tactical, and depending on the opposition in the coming months he could go without a striker, while maintaining there’s not been a final decision made on who starts up front.

“I think it is normal, it was a choice for this kind of match. I don’t know if in Brighton we will play in the same way or not, maybe not. I don’t know. I think Alvaro is able to understand that it is only a tactical decision, it is not the final choice.

We thought yesterday that for the first time in the season that there was a possibility to have more spaces – so we wanted to try with Eden—because for the first time there was a possibility to play on the counter-attack.”

Maurizio Sarri, Goal

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