Alvaro Morata Lifts the Lid on 'Unbearable' Back Injury That Ended His Goalscoring Form

Chelsea striker Álvaro Morata has revealed how an "unbearable" back injury that he suffered just after the turn of the year has scuppered his form for the Blues this season.

The former Real Madrid star moved to Stamford Bridge for £60m during the summer transfer window, winning the hearts of Chelsea fans instantly by scoring six goals in the same number of appearances in the Premier League.

GLYN KIRK/GettyImages

But a slight dip in form before Christmas, coupled with an injury that required Morata to frequently fly out to Germany for a series of injections a few months ago, has seen the Spain international fall out of favour with some fans in west London.

"People say things to me on the street, but they don't know what I've gone through," Morata told Marca. "I wanted to play and to keep scoring, but I couldn't. I didn't know what I had. 

"The Chelsea doctor did, but we went to see doctors in England and they didn't find that. We went to Germany and what happened there was very difficult for me.

"I had to go several times to Germany to receive a treatment in which they put injections in my back. It hurt a lot and then I would have to return to London to train the next day.

"The day before playing against West Ham they told me that I was going to become a father. I wanted to play, but I couldn't even move in the warm-ups. I told the doctor to inject me because I had to play. 

"I wanted to dedicate a goal to my future children and, from then on, I entered into a mode where I didn't want to stop because I wanted to demonstrate something. It was all bad.

Aitor Alcalde/GettyImages

"I have learned from it and I won't do it again. I suffered. I would arrive home from matches and from training and I had to inject myself a couple of times because I couldn't stand the pain."

Morata will be desperate that his dip in form this season won't affect his chances of being selected in Julen Lopetegui's Spain squad at the World Cup this summer. 

But the Chelsea striker added that he is keeping his head down until after their FA Cup final against Manchester United.

"In England, the FA Cup is valued a lot. It has been a difficult year for us, yet we can still be champions of something," Morata continued. "We have the final against Manchester United and if you go and score and earn the victory then the people will remember that."