Report: Morata out for over a month with hamstring issue

Chelsea could be without Alvaro Morata through the month of October as the newly-signed striker suffered a grade two left hamstring injury in a 1-0 loss to Manchester City last Saturday, reports Matt Law of the Telegraph.

Morata, who has six goals to his name in the Premier League, could only manage around half an hour of action before requesting a substitution, rubbing the back of his left leg as he exited down the tunnel at Stamford Bridge.

The 24-year-old Spain international was called up to Julen Lopetegui's squad for a pair of World Cup qualifying fixtures, but was replaced by Athletic Bilbao forward Aritz Aduriz after being diagnosed with the injury. Law reports Morata underwent an MRI scan while with the national team and could miss 6-8 weeks of action.

He will now return to Chelsea to undergo a second scan while Antonio Conte figures out what to do with his team in the interim. During the City match, the Italian tactician opted to use Eden Hazard and Willian as a tandem winger-forward duo to no great success against Pep Guardiola's three-man backline.

Swapping Morata for Michy Batshuayi seems the natural choice, but Conte has not called upon the young Belgian striker to start in league matches, lending credence to the idea that an alternative solution might be employed.

In any case, losing the £57-million man is a blow to Chelsea's title defence; the Blues currently sit in fourth behind Tottenham, Manchester United, and City, tied at 13 points with Arsenal over seven matches.