Alvaro Morata can regain scoring form for Chelsea – Tore Andre Flo

LONDON — Tore Andre Flo insists Alvaro Morata will prove himself at Chelsea once he overcomes the physical and mental difficulties he has encountered in his first season in England.

Morata made a scintillating start to his Blues career following a club-record £58 million move from Real Madrid last summer, scoring eight goals in his first 10 appearances in all competitions before picking up a hamstring injury during a Premier League match against Manchester City at the end of September.

Since returning to the team the Spain international has struggled to rediscover the same confidence in front of goal, netting just five times in 22 matches and missing a number of gilt-edged chances until lingering back pain forced him on to the sidelines again.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte revealed on Friday he has no idea when Morata will be fit to return but Flo, who scored 50 goals in 163 appearances for Chelsea between 1997 and 2000 and now helps manage the club's loan system, remains confident the 25-year-old will prove a big success at Stamford Bridge.

'Not only just because I work here, but I would really defend him any day,' Flo told ESPN FC. 'He is a very, very good player, I really like him. If he gets a good delivery he is so good in front of goal. I like the way he moves in the build up.

'Obviously it is tough coming to the Premier League and some games he found it difficult. But I think now he also has someone else [Olivier Giroud], and hopefully we could see two strikers [starting] every now and then. I don't know, we'll have to wait and see.'

Asked what Giroud, an £18 million signing on January deadline day from Arsenal, can bring to Chelsea, he added: 'I think we have someone there that can change up the way we play a bit. Obviously he is tall, and he can be in there to head it or take down balls from the back.

'We will have to just wait and see how [Antonio Conte] uses him. Now he has got more options on how to change the way he plays.'

Flo spoke to ESPN FC as part of a Chelsea Legends team that will take on Inter Forever at Stamford Bridge on May 18, in a special match to mark the 20-year anniversary of the Blues side that won the League Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 1998.

The Chelsea team will also feature Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Wise, Graeme Le Saux and player-manager Gianluca Vialli, while their opponents have confirmed that Javier Zanetti, Youri Djorkaeff and Francesco Toldo will play. All proceeds from the game will go towards the Chelsea Foundation.

Le Saux, who led the way in organising the event, told ESPN FC: 'It's a group that I've got such affection for. In all my time in football, we had such close friendships both on and off the pitch, fantastic characters and personalities.

'We had fun playing. It was such a positive style of football and a joy to be part of. I've got very fond memories, so I'm looking forward to at least sharing all of those memories and hopefully some of those experiences on the pitch with the fans and the players.'

Source: www.espn.in