Conte's Headache Worsens as Midfielder Reportedly Suffers Hamstring Injury Ahead of Watford Clash

Stricken Premier League champions Chelsea could be heading into their match against Watford with yet another player unavailable, with the Telegraph reporting that Ross Barkley has possibly suffered a hamstring injury ahead of Monday's clash.

The English midfielder joined the Blues from Everton last month for £15m, having gone up to that point without playing a single minute due to serious hamstring issues. And it is still unclear whether this latest injury is related or not.

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Chelsea's medical staff will assess the player ahead of the trip to Watford in order to determine whether or not he is indeed injured, per the report.

Antonio Conte will be unable to call on Alvaro Morata and Andreas Christensen, while Willian is also in need of an assessment before being thrust back into the squad after suffering a thigh injury last month. 

New signings Olivier Giroud and Emerson Palmieri are described as lacking match fitness by the Italian manager and there's no telling if they'll feature.

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The Telegraph are also claiming that Conte is under scrutiny by the club as a result of the many injuries in the squad this season. 

Victor Moses, N’Golo Kante, Gary Cahill, Cesc Fabregas, Willian and Morata have all fallen victim to tweaked hamstrings so far. And it is suspected that his refusal to alter his training methods, given the Blues fixture congestion, could be the reason for the number of problems in the squad.

Of course, the lack of squad depth is more likely to be the culprit, but the Italian's detractors would rather have it the other way around.