Alvaro Morata rues attempts to play through back injury that has halted his Chelsea campaign

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata admits he made a mistake trying to play through a back injury he feels has hampered his form at Stamford Bridge.

Following his £58m arrival from Real Madrid, Morata scored eight goals in his first eight appearances for the Premier League champions as he set about filling the void left by Diego Costa in west London.

The Spain international's form tailed off in December however with his disappointing form carrying on into the New Year, marked by one particular wasteful performance away to Arsenal in the Premier League where he missed a string of chances that may have won his side the game.

Morata missed Chelsea's comprehensive victory over Brighton on 20 January and would miss his side's next four games due to a back injury, one that Antonio Conte admitted he was "worried" about in a recent press conference.

The 24-year-old returned to the Blues squad on Monday [12 February], coming off the bench for the final half an hour in a comfortable victory over West Bromwich Albion but admits physical and mental demands have taken their toll in his first season in English football.

"Chelsea is a big club, a club that has given me the opportunity to play as a starter, to grow even more," Morata told Movistar, ESPN report. "It is a team where I am very happy, where I started well until I had some physical problems.

"I made a mistake in that respect as I played with. I went through a poor spell where I missed important goals but I wasn't well physically and mentally. I have to frit my teeth and do all that I can to return. We have the Champions League tie [against Barcelona on Tuesday 20 February]."

Morata provided a bright cameo appearance against the Baggies on Monday, testing goalkeeper Ben Foster with some decent efforts on goal. Olivier Giroud started up front in place of the Spaniard that evening, setting up Eden Hazard's opening goal.