Antonio Conte urged to pick a full-strength Chelsea side against Qarabag

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte should not chop and change his line-up against Qarabag and instead pick a full-strength team in order to put the Azerbajani outfit "to the sword", according to former Blues assistant manager Ray Wilkins.

Conte is set to ring the changes ahead of the clash with Qarabag, stating in his press conference on Monday (11 September) that it "necessary to rotate" his players when possible due to their domestic and overseas commitments.

Alvaro Morata is just one of a host of Chelsea stars that could be handed a watching brief at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, but Wilkins, who enjoyed three spells with the Premier League champions as a player and coach, does not want to see the Blues' fringe players get a run-out and is instead hoping to see Chelsea's big guns strut their stuff on the club's return to Europe's premier club competition.

"I would struggle to be a footballer in the modern day because of the way the teams are always chopped and changed," Wilkins told talkSPORT. "I couldn't have that because you train day in, day out to perform on the big stage and there is none bigger than the Champions League.

"The Champions League has become very, very special over the last couple of years and you want to play in these games. These are the big games to play in. I know it might be Qarabag but who gives a monkey's - go and put them to the sword.

"As soon as that music cranks up at a stadium, I have got no hair but something stands up on the back of my neck! Supporters pay a lot of money to watch these games and they want to see the best players they possibly can."

Wilkins' wishes will almost certainly fall on deaf ears, with Conte set to draft in the likes of Charly Musonda for a rare start in west London. Musonda, who joined Chelsea five years ago has made just one appearance for the Blues so far but seemed to confirm his inclusion in the starting line-up on Instagram with a brief message: "Five years in the making, it is almost time to make waves in this special kit."