Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says Danny Drinkwater’s debut in the 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Everton proves he is ready to play a part in the Premier League campaign.
Drinkwater had not featured so far this season after suffering a calf injury in training soon after joining from Leicester City on transfer deadline day.
But he played just over an hour of the victory at Stamford Bridge before making way for Cesc Fabregas.
“It was good news for the first time to see Danny,” Conte said.
“We will have three games before the international break. To see him 100% fit it might be after the break, but now I think I count about him for a part of the game. It is important to have him.”
Conte also said N’Golo Kante is making good progress following his hamstring injury.
“He’s progressing well,” Conte said. “I saw him in a good physical condition.
“We need to keep calm and find the right moment to put him in the team. Now it will be very easy to tell him to play. We must pay attention and find the best solution.”
This post was last modified on 26/10/2017