Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has warned of the threat posed by Watford strikers Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo ahead of the two sides’ Premier League clash on Saturday.
The Blues travel to Vicarage Road off the back of a 2-1 win over West Ham in Conte’s first competitive game in charge.
But the Italian believes Watford – now managed by his old rival Walter Mazzari – will be “dangerous” opponents.
He said: “We know that it is not an easy game, because Watford are a solid team, with good players.
“The two strikers are very strong, they play together very well. We must pay a lot of attention, because it is a dangerous game for us.
“At this moment, we have to send the right message. For this reason, it’s important to face this game with the right intensity, with the right concentration, [and stay] very focused.”
Conte also played down his rift with Mazzari, triggered by their time managing Juventus and Napoli respectively.
The pair were said to have fallen out after Conte began to use the same formation Mazzari had successfully employed with Napoli, with words exchanged between them via the media.
But Conte struck a more conciliatory tone in his pre-match press conference, saying he had met with Mazzari at a pre-season coaches’ meeting.
“I spoke with him about this new experience,” the Blues boss said. “It’s a great challenge also for him.
“In Italy, we fought for the title, Juventus against Napoli, and when you are fighting for the title, everyone is for his club.
“But the relationship is very normal. I have a great respect for him and his work. I think he’s a good manager.”
This post was last modified on 19/08/2016