Antonio Conte must wrap 'stallion' Alvaro Morata in cotton wool to keep Chelsea title hopes alive - Garth Crooks

Alvaro Morata's fitness must be carefully managed if Chelsea are to retain their Premier League crown, says Garth Crooks.

Morata led Chelsea to victory on Sunday as his stunning header secured the champions a 1-0 win against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

The Spain international netted his first goal in seven matches after going six games without scoring and suffering a hamstring injury in September.

Former United striker Crooks believes Morata and Eden Hazard’s partnership on the pitch holds the key to Chelsea's title defence, and Conte needs to keep tthe striker fit in order to stand any hope of catching runaway leaders Manchester City.

Writing in his BBC Sport column, Crooks said: “The modern game has changed to such an extent you simply don’t see many classic headers like the one Morata scored against Manchester United.

“But more than that, it was the way the Spain international led the line and linked up with Hazard that must give the Stamford Bridge faithful some reason to believe that retaining the title is not completely out of the question.

"Chelsea will need to wrap Morata in cotton wool in order to get him through a Premier League season.

"Fixtures during the Christmas and New Year periods can make or break a team, not to mention a player’s form, and Morata looks more like a thoroughbred stallion than a Hereford bull."

Conte made the bold call of dropping David Luiz from his squad completely against United, but Crooks says Chelsea players must become used to being held accountable if they are to mount a credible title defence.

"I think Morata is a very different personality to Luiz, but if Conte wants to win the title that already appears to be slipping away, he has to manage all his players all the time regardless of their personality," he added.