Injured, fatigued Morata out of Huddersfield clash

Alvaro Morata will miss Chelsea's trip to Huddersfield on Tuesday due to a combination of fatigue and injury, manager Antonio Conte told reporters.

"Morata is out because he's a bit tired and there is a problem in his back," the Italian said Monday, courtesy of the Guardian's Nick Ames.

Conte has regularly complained about Chelsea's fixture list, and with nine matches in December alone, this month is particularly daunting.

Despite this concern, he has offered little reprieve to Morata, starting the Spanish striker in 14 of 16 Premier League matches thus far. By contrast, Michy Batshuayi, Chelsea's only other senior centre-forward, has been limited to select substitution appearances.

Morata has delivered in the time since his £58-million move from Real Madrid, scoring 10 goals for the Blues across all competitions.

If Conte doesn't turn to Batshuayi for relief, he could deploy Eden Hazard as a false nine against Huddersfield. The bustling Belgian international played in that position around the same time last season, when Diego Costa had to serve a suspension.

Hazard has also taken up a more central role over the past few months, often sitting behind Morata in a 3-5-1-1 formation.