Alvaro Morata’s injury raises new questions about Chelsea’s transfer strategy

Chelsea have three first-team strikers under contract. One is best as a super-sub, one is out indefinitely with injury and the third will start on Saturday for Borussia Dortmund.

Antonio Conte confirmed Alvaro Morata will miss Monday’s fixture against West Bromwich Albion. This will be Morata’s fourth consecutive Premier League game out of the lineup, dating back to January 20. Conte seemed less than optimistic about Morata’s chances to play against Barcelona on February 20. The coach said he is “a bit worried, because of [Morata’s] importance,” as he told the media there is no timetable for the striker’s return.

The Blues loaned Michy Batshuayi to Borussia Dortmund contingent on receiving Olivier Giroud from Arsenal. From Chelsea’s perspective this was a one-for-one swap: back-up impact striker for back-up impact striker. The three-way striker swap left the three clubs in much the same condition as they were before, just with more suitable players. In Chelsea’s case, that means they still have a injured striker with no back-up.

Chelsea’s top needs in the January transfer window were a strong left wing-back and a back-up striker. They satisfied the first with Emerson Palmieri. However, they scarcely considered any prospects for the latter. All of Chelsea’s centre-forward transfer targets were replacements for Michy Batshuayi rather than depth for Alvaro Morata. The only thing more absurd than buying Andy Carroll or Peter Crouch would be buying and then starting them against Barcelona or the Manchester clubs.

Morata is less injury-prone than his critics let on. But he has still struggled to find his form and durability in the Premier League. Antonio Conte could have used a rugged centre-forward to drive Morata through intra-squad competition, in addition to providing depth. Chelsea pinned all their hopes on Morata’s health and fitness as well as his form. The latter had been lacking in recent weeks, and now the former has completely given way.

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In those final 10 days of the transfer window, as Morata spent his time on the training table rather than the pitch, Chelsea were either the “this is fine” dog or more incompetent than suspected. Even an optimistic projection for Morata’s return should have instilled some sense of urgency in the board. When you are one player away from a gaping whole in the lineup, you reinforce that position. Executing a like-for-like swap among the substitutes does not help the starting XI.

Chelsea have found little success using Eden Hazard as the false-nine. Antonio Conte will likely start Olivier Giroud against West Bromwich Albion. In the loss to Watford, Chelsea were a much more potent team after Giroud came on and provided a reference point.

Conte will need his best XI to reverse the Premier League slump. Giroud then has one week to recover before he may be called into service to start against Barcelona. He has the experience to fill the role, but Giroud is much more effective as a substitute. More worryingly, though, he is coming off of injury himself and is 31 years old. Chelsea could finish February with both strikers – starter and backup-turned-substitute – on the injury list.

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Calling Chelsea’s transfer activity a strategy is far too generous. They executed moves, which made them look active. But there was apparently little foresight and ambition behind the business. With Antonio Conte a mere coach and the technical director spot still vacant, the rudderless front office has Chelsea adrift at the mercy of fate.