Alvaro Morata to make first Chelsea start against Inter Milan on Saturday

Simon Johnson28 July 2017

Antonio Conte has confirmed Alvaro Morata will make his first start for Chelsea against Inter Milan on Saturday.

The Premier League champions' tour of the Far East concludes against the Serie A side and Conte has made it clear he wants to end on a winning note.

Following the high of beating Arsenal 3-0 in Beijing, came the reality check of a 3-2 reverse against Bayern Munich - the Bundesliga club racing into a three goal lead inside half an hour.

Morata is starting for the first time in a blue shirt up front and £34m defender Antonio Rudiger will come on as a second-half substitute.

"I think it could be a good option to see Morata from the start," Conte said.

"This is the last game before we face Arsenal [in the Community Shield] and it is very important to play my players into fitness as soon as possible. For this reason we play with the best starting XI."

The game could have important consequences for the Academy players that have been brought on the trip and whether they have done enough to earn a spot in the squad.

Bongarts/Getty Images

Jeremie Boga and Fikayo Tomori have arguably made the biggest impression so far, but Lewis Baker will hope for an opportunity to catch the Italian's eye.

Loan departures will be the most likely outcome for a lot of them, but some will remain to help meet the home grown quota.

Conte concluded: "Every young player's attitude in pre-season has been very good.

"When we go back to Cobham, I have to make the right decision to see what is best for the team, for the club and also for the young player."

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