Chelsea's Alvaro Morata, Marcos Alonso and Antonio Rudiger at risk of FA ban

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Vaishali Bhardwaj11 December 2017

Chelsea have three players who could be treading cautiously against Huddersfield, with Alvaro Morata, Marcos Alonso and Antonio Rudiger all one booking away from suspension.

The Chelsea trio have all picked up four yellow cards each so far this season and, should any of them be booked in the next few weeks, they will be handed an automatic one-game suspension as the cut-off point for players on five yellow cards is 31 December.

The Premier League champions travel to take on Huddersfield in their next top-flight game on Tuesday night and were Morata, Alonso or Rudiger to be cautioned at John Smith's Stadium, they would have to sit out Chelsea's match at home to Southampton on Saturday.

That would leave Blues coach Antonio Conte with a selection issue.

Morata is the Italian's first-choice striker, with his only other option in the face of a suspension to be to play Michy Batshuayi up front or Eden Hazard as a false No.9.

A suspension for Alonso would also not be welcomed by Conte as the Spaniard is Chelsea's first-choice left wing-back, and would have to be replaced by playing Davide Zappacosta on the left and Victor Moses on the right flank.

Rudiger's absence would be less keenly felt, though, as Conte started Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Gary Cahill in defence against West Ham on Saturday.

But with David Luiz still out with a knee injury, a potential suspension for Rudiger would mean Conte not having any defensive cover on the bench.

Despite that, Conte insisted on Monday that he does not want his players to change their game when they take on Huddersfield on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at Cobham, the Chelsea coach said: "I think this is part of their job.

"To receive a yellow card is normal. When it happens to take another yellow card, they stay out and we try to find another solution."

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