Report: Barkley picks up hamstring injury in training

Chelsea newcomer Ross Barkley is set to miss a Monday trip to Watford after suffering a suspected hamstring injury in training this week, reports Matt Law of the Telegraph.

Barkley, who joined the Blues out of Everton in January, is the latest player in Antonio Conte's ranks to suffer a hamstring issue this season, joining Alvaro Morata, Victor Moses, N'Golo Kante, Gary Cahill, Cesc Fabregas, Willian, and, as of earlier in the week, Andreas Christensen.

There's reportedly no suggestion that Barkley's hamstring injury is a recurrence of the one that ruled him out for 29 matches between August and January. The 24-year-old is currently being assessed by Chelsea's medical staff.

Barkley featured for 54 minutes in Chelsea's 3-0 midweek loss to Bournemouth and was summoned to training the day after, Law reports, adding that Conte's critics say the manager "has not adapted his tough training sessions enough to allow for the amount of games his players are involved in."

The Italian tactician can also point to a number of fixtures in quick succession as part of the reason for the numerous muscular injuries his ranks have suffered. The Blues have played two games each week without rest from November through January, with a fair few matches coming within a couple of days of one another. That prompted a quizzical response from Conte.

"Every team has this type of situation. But from start of the season, I don't know, I see only Chelsea to have this type of situation," he said of the schedule congestion back in December, as quoted by the Independent.

"I don't want advantages. If we have to play every two days, I'm ready. But we need to have the same rest as our opponents, then we see what happens.

"Is it difficult to do this? I don't think so. It is a strange coincidence."