Ross Barkley will not be fit enough to play a part when Chelsea face Tottenham Hotspur in a crucial Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Blues manager Antonio Conte revealed at Thursday's press conference that the attacking midfielder will feature for the U23 team as he steps up his recovery from a hamstring complaint.

Barkley has played only three games for Chelsea since completing his move from Everton in the January transfer window due to fitness issues, one each in the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup.

''For Barkley, he started to have the training sessions and we've preferred to have him with the under-23s and to play on Saturday before coming back with us,'' Conte told reporters.

"We are talking about a player that is coming back from a bad injury, seven months without playing.

''We want to have patience with him and then to be sure before we bring him back to the first-team.''

Nigeria international Victor Moses was on target against Spurs in this same fixture last season and is in line to play his first game for the champions after the international break.

Igho Kingsley

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