Antonio Conte has confirmed new Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko will not feature in the Community Shield nor the club's Premier League opener against Burnley as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
The Chelsea boss confirmed the news on Friday, two days before the Premier League champions play Arsenal at Wembley, and said Eden Hazard will, as expected, also miss the two games.
Chelsea signed Bakayoko from Monaco in a £40m deal this summer, but were left without the midfielder for their pre-season tour of the Far East after he underwent surgery on a minor knee injury at the end of the last campaign.
He was subsequently left out of the touring party, and remained behind in London to recover.
Speaking about Bakayoko's fitness as well as the latest on Hazard - who had surgery on his ankle earlier in the summer - Conte said: "They are working hard to recover but they are not available for tomorrow's game."
When then asked whether Bakayoko could feature against Burnley next weekend, Conte replied: "We have to wait and be patient. They ae improving a lot and are recovering well from their injuries but they are not still ready to start the season.
"Eden has an ankle problem. After surgery it's important to respect the right time to recover and the same with Bakayoko. He had surgery in his knee but we are hoping to recover very well. The work is going very well.
"Conte also suggested new Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata may not start the Community Shield clash against Arsenal due to the Spaniard needing time to get back to full fitness.
Conte added: "I have another day to make the best decision. Alvaro is working very well and he's trying to reach the best physical condition and to understand our idea of football. He needs a bit more time."
