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Antonio Conte vows Chelsea will fight for FA Cup and top-four place

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Antonio Conte remained defiant Chelsea will try to win the FA Cup and finish in the top four

Antonio Conte has vowed Chelsea will "fight until the end" to win the FA Cup and qualify for next season's Champions League.

Premier League champions Chelsea were knocked out of Europe by Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, having been eliminated from the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage earlier this season.

 during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at Camp Nou on March 14, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.
Image: Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona on Wednesday

Chelsea, fifth in the Premier League and four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, face Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, and Conte says they must try and achieve both their remaining two targets.

"I think every trophy is important for us," the Italian said. "We started the season to try to fight until the end for every competition.

"In the Carabao Cup we reached the semi-final, in Champions League the last 16. This is the FA Cup quarter-final. If we win, we can play another semi-final at Wembley. We try to do our best in every competition. This must be our target."

Asked whether he was more focused on securing a top-four spot or lifting the FA Cup, Conte replied: "I think we have to try to do both. To try to go to the next round and to reach the semi-final in the FA Cup it won't be easy.

"Leicester is a good team. In the last game we played at home, we suffered against them. Then to try to do our best also in the league, to find a place in the Champions League. It won't be easy."

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LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: Alvaro Morata of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on December
Image: Alvaro Morata has been left out of the Spain squad

Chelsea's £70m signing, Alvaro Morata, is without a goal in 2018 and has been left out of the Spain squad for upcoming friendlies, just months before this summer's World Cup in Russia.

Morata has started just one of Chelsea's last eight games, but Conte insisted the forward's national team absence is not his concern.

"This question is for the national coach not me," said Conte, with defender Gary Cahill also not selected for international duty with England this week.

"My only worry is to have the players in the best form for Chelsea. Maybe he [Morata] could score on Sunday."

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