Sarri insists he has spoken to Abramovich

Maurizio Sarri has insisted he has spoken to Roman Abramovich since becoming Chelsea head coach and that reports he has not done so are wide of the mark.

Reports in Sarri’s native Italy suggested he has had no contact with the Chelsea owner.

However, speaking at a media conference on the eve of the Blues’ Europa League match against Malmo, Sarri said he has spoke to Abramovich on occasions, although his main point of contact is director Marina Granovskaia.

Sarri told reporters: “Not very often, but not never. I didn’t say never; the interview was in Italian and in Italian I am better than you! So I am sure.”

Pressed on whether he has spoken with Abramovich, Sarri replied: “Yes of course. Not this week, not in the last three weeks.

“I like to speak with somebody of the club, not necessarily the owner. I usually speak with Marina and for me that’s enough.”

There has been speculation about Sarri’s future after Chelsea’s poor recent run continued with a 6-0 hammering at Manchester City on Sunday.

Sarri confirmed he has spoken at length with his players since that debacle.

“We talked all together for one hour the day after the match,” he said.

“But I think it’s better to work. It’s better to react on the pitch.

“It’s not easy to play tomorrow after a 6-0, but we have to play and we have to play well.

“We want to win and we know it will be not really very easy because we have play against a very good team.

“They (Malmo) are compact, are solid, and usually have a very good defensive phase, so it will be not easy.

“But we want to win. We want to react (to the City game) immediately.”

Sarri also revealed that Ruben Loftus-Cheek will miss Thursday’s game after suffering a recurrence of a persistent back problem.