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Chelsea boss Antonio Conte took advantage of a rare opportunity to give his players a three-day break for them to take their minds off football during what has been an incredibly busy spell.

Conte is expecting them fresh and well rested for the hurdle ahead.

“To have a bit of rest after a busy period, I think it was important,” said the Italian, who has spent the past three days working with the players again at Cobham as we gear up for three home games in three separate competitions between now and next Tuesday.

“It was important for them to be with their families and to spend more time for themselves – to have the opportunity to breathe and relax.

“I think it is the same for the coach also, when you have to prepare a game every two days. For sure, for us we don’t need to worry about the physical situation, but I think that we can recover after mental fatigue.”