Rosenior admits Chelsea must curb tactics because of fitness

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has admitted he has been forced to compromise on his tactical vision ahead of the trip to Arsenal. Since taking charge in January he has tried to implement a more expansive style, but he conceded the physical demands of that approach are currently beyond his squad.

Rosenior said his hands are tied by the group's conditioning and the timing of his arrival. "It's okay in your mind to say, 'I want to play this way,' but you have to tailor that to the players and their experiences and where they are at this stage of the season." He added that you cannot completely change training mid-season because players will get injured and described the work as a longer-term task.

"At the moment, my focus and the way we've worked is game by game; what's best for these players to win and what's best for us to win each game. That's how it's going to be until the end of the season." Statistics underline the gap with Arsenal, who lead the league for distance covered while Chelsea sit bottom.

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