Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas on how he struggled under Antonio Conte: 'Only my family knows what I have been through'

• e-mail

Chelsea may have sauntered to the Premier League title under Antonio Conte last season, but Cesc Fabregas still struggled to enjoy it after finding his position in the squad reduced.

The Spain international had been a key figure under Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink but found himself on the bench after Conte preferred a midfield pairing of N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic.

He started just 13 Premier League games and appeared from the bench a further 16 times. Although still impressing with five goals and 12 assists, Fabregas admits he found life 'difficult' after a surprise demotion.

Marcos Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Pedro and Alvaro Morata on Chelsea's team flight to Madrid ahead of their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid

Cesc Fabregas, pictured with Alvaro Morata in training, admits he found life difficult last term

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte demoted Fabregas to the role of squad player

Fabregas shares a joke with his fellow Spaniard and newest Chelsea star Davide Zappacosta

Marcos Alonso(2nd right) and Pedro (left) pose for the camera as Chelsea stars warm up

'I'm not going to deny it, it was a difficult season,' he told Marca.

'I came from playing everything with [Jose] Mourinho and [Guus] Hiddink and then suddenly I was not counted on all of the time.

'Not everyone knows what I went through during those months and there were people who went as far as to say that it was no longer worth it.

'Only my family knows what I have been through.'

Fabregas looks in high spirits as he laughs alongside his Chelsea team-mates on Tuesday

Chelsea's Eden Hazard walks onto the pitch alongside Willian (right) as he prepares for training

Gary Cahill goes through some routing warm-up exercises as part of Tuesday's training session

Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta limbers up as the Chelsea team complete their warm-ups

Thibaut Courtois pulls on his gloves as the Chelsea goalkeeper prepares for the session

Conte made a number of sweeping changes after taking charge last summer and also forced Diego Costa out of the club after a breakdown in their relationship.

Despite impressing in front of goal and endearing himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful, Costa was told he did not have a place in Conte's squad and was allowed to rejoin former club Atletico Madrid.

Fabregas, who formed a fruitful partnership with Costa during their title-winning season in 2015, says he would have preferred to see his Spain international team-mate stay at the club and claims there has been no better 'pure striker' than him.

'Clearly I would have preferred for him to continue as a team-mate,' the midfielder added. 'Diego will never be a rival to me.

'In recent years there has not been a pure striker better than him; he understood my game, read my passes and most importantly he could score from them.' 

Hazard show off his skill as he moves towards full fitness following an ankle injury

Chelsea star and Belgium keeper Courtois makes a save as they workout

David Luiz and Victor Moses (right) stretch their legs as they prepare to train at Cobham