Chelsea boss Antonio Conte: 'Ross Barkley to return with Under-23s'

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has said that the club will continue to remain patient with midfielder Ross Barkley.

Since signing for Chelsea at the start of 2018, Barkley has made just three outings for the Blues, with his last appearance coming on January 31.

Barkley is closing in on another return from a hamstring injury, but Conte has revealed that the Englishman will feature for the Under-23s this weekend rather than come into contention for the Premier League fixture with Tottenham Hotspur.

At a press conference, the 48-year-old told reporters: "He has started to have the training sessions and preferred to play with the Under-23s on Saturday before he comes back with us.

"We are talking about a player with a bad injury, we want to have patience and be sure before he comes back with us."

Barkley's three matches for Chelsea are the 24-year-old's only first-team appearances since the final day of last season.