Chelsea boss Antonio Conte: 'We must prepare to suffer without the ball'

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has claimed that the team need to be fully prepared to cope without the ball in tomorrow's Champions League clash against Barcelona.

The West London outfit will take on the Spanish giants at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Barcelona are favourites to progress, but the Blues are in positive form having won back-to-back matches in all competitions, with seven goals scored and none conceded.

"We are talking about a massive game; a big challenge for us, one of the best in the world," Conte told reporters in his pre-match press conference. "I think this type of game we must be excited to play them.

"For sure it won't be easy because we are talking about a fantastic team with fantastic players. We must pay great attention and must have ambition to play our football. We know the characteristics of them.

"They like to dominate the game. In every game they can create chances to score and for this reason we must be prepared to suffer without the ball and be compact and with the ball do what we know."

Meanwhile, Eden Hazard has reiterated that he is happy with life at Chelsea.