Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has described the departure of Nemanja Matic as a "great loss".
The Italian coach recently suggested that it was not his decision to sell the midfielder, who joined Manchester United in a deal costing a rumoured £40m in July.
After Chelsea signed Tiemoue Bakayoko from AS Monaco, there were suggestions that Matic would be forced to take a back seat, but Conte has reiterated that the Serbian will be missed.
"Matic knows very well what I think about him," Conte told Sky Sports News during the Premier League launch. "The importance for me about this player because, I repeat, he's a really good and strong player and important for our team.
"Sometimes you must accept this crazy transfer market and sometimes you must accept different decisions, but I repeat for sure he is a great loss."
So far this summer, the English champions have signed Antonio Rudiger, Alvaro Morata and Bakayoko.
Danielle Joynson
