Chelsea boss Antonio Conte to wait on Emerson Palmieri recovery

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has suggested that he is yet to decide on whether Emerson Palmieri will start against Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Marcos Alonso is currently serving a three-match ban, and Palmieri impressed as he deputised for the Spaniard in Thursday's 2-1 victory over Burnley in the Premier League.

However, due to Palmieri's lack of game time since joining from Roma in January, Conte has said that it is too early to make a decision over the left wing-back.

At a press conference, the 48-year-old told reporters: "In this moment, it's very difficult to answer. Emerson didn't play many games and yesterday he played a really good game. Defensively and offensively. For sure, offensively, I think he must be more positive and try and have more one versus ones, because he has these characteristics.

"We are talking about a young player who's a really good prospect for Chelsea. I have two days to make the best decision for Sunday's game, to understand who are the players who have recovered after yesterday's game, and then to make the best decision. For sure, he's in contention for Southampton's game."

Before his outing at Turf Moor, Palmieri had featured for just 105 minutes since moving to Stamford Bridge.