Alvaro Morata will begin running at Chelsea's training ground this week - but is OUT of Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace.

Morata limped out of the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City before the international break.

Despite the injury, he joined up with Spain for international duty where doctors diagnosed him with a grade two hamstring tear.

Chelsea have been conducting their own tests on the player, though.

They don't think Morata is as injured as the Spanish medics are claiming.

He's been assessed at the club's Cobham training base for the last few days and is now closing in on a return to running.

Saturday's visit to bottom side Crystal Palace will come too soon for Morata, but Chelsea are keen on getting him involved against Roma in the Champions League the following week.

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata is on his way back from injury

Chelsea letting Manchester United sign Nemanja Matic this summer has annoyed Ray Wilkins.

He is particularly frustrated following the hamstring injury suffered by N’Golo Kante which has left Antonio Conte low on midfield options.

“I’m annoyed he’s [Nemanja Matic] been allowed to leave Stamford Bridge,” Wilkins said on Sky Sports.

“Kante has injured himself the other night with his thigh, we don’t know if he will be playing at the weekend.

“Matic for me is the best holding midfield player, one of the best in the world anyway. I’m very sad that he’s left.”

Virgil van Dijk would not be an automatic starter if he joined Chelsea from Southampton, according to Graeme Le Saux.

The Blues have been linked with a move for the Holland international as well as Premier League rivals Liverpool.

Le Saux told Starsport: “If Chelsea are to carry on with playing a back three then they need top quality players in those positions but [Gary] Cahill, [David] Luiz and [Cesar] Azpilicueta are all having decent seasons so far.

“In addition, [Andreas] Christensen has done well having come through the ranks so I think Van Dijk would have quite the fight on his hands in trying to displace those players from the starting XI.”

Van Dijk recently made comments that he could look to move again when the January transfer window opens.