Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri says his decision to leave Alvaro Morata out of his squad for the visit of Manchester City was a tactical one, because it would be "useless" to have two strikers on the bench.
The Blues lined up at Stamford Bridge without a recognised centre-forward in the XI, with Eden Hazard expected to lead the line, supported by Willian and Pedro.
French forward Olivier Giroud is on the bench, and Sarri has chosen to omit Morata altogether, rather than have two striking options among his substitutes.
When asked by about his selection before the game, Sarri confirmed that Morata’s omission was purely tactical.
"I wanted to play Hazard in a different position,” he told BT Sport. "It's useless to have two strikers on the bench."
With Sergio Aguero out injured, Manchester City also lined up without a natural striker, as Pep Guardiola opted not to include Gabriel Jesus. Instead, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Royad Mahrez will play as a front three.
