Chelsea will struggle to qualify for Champions League unless they beat Tottenham, warns Antonio Conte

Chelsea are currently fifth in the Premier League, five points behind Spurs and seven behind Liverpool with a game in hand

Antonio Conte faces a crucial meeting with Tottenham (Getty Images)

Antonio Conte admits Chelsea will struggle to qualify for next season’s Champions League if they fail to beat Tottenham on Sunday.

Chelsea are currently fifth in the Premier League, five points behind Spurs and seven behind Liverpool with a game in hand, and the manager believes defeat to Mauricio Pochettino’s team at Stamford Bridge would be a major blow to the Blues’ top-four ambitions.

“For sure this is an important game for us,” said Conte. “Our target is to try and take a place in the Champions League and reach the final of the FA Cup and to win if we are able.

“Sunday is an important game because if we win we go very close – otherwise we continue to stay not so close and with seven games to go it will be difficult to take a place in the Champions League. Nothing is impossible. In this run I put Liverpool as well. For us, we have to try to win every game and not make mistakes.”

Alvaro Morata is expected to return to the starting line-up and Conte has backed the Spanish forward to play a leading role in Chelsea’s run-in. Morata has struggled for form and fitness in recent months, having not scored in the Premier League since December, but Conte insists he is now “100 per cent fit”.

“This period for Alvaro was very important,” said Conte. “In the last week he has worked very well. I think he needed to work hard because he was out for one month for his back problem. Now he’s really fit, 100 per cent. He’s ready for an important final of the season for Chelsea and then for the chance to play in the World Cup.”

Morata’s striking counterpart Harry Kane will undergo a fitness test on Saturday before the game at Stamford Bridge, following ankle ligament damage, and Conte described the forward as one of the best around.

“I think we are talking about one of the best strikers in the world,” said Conte. “When you have a striker who scores 30 goals every season, for sure when you miss this type of player you can feel this.

“But at the same time I think Tottenham is an important team for the whole team. They have many important players, talented, they play good football with great intensity. In the past they showed despite Kane missed many games nothing has changed.”

Chelsea have their own injury worries, with both Thibaut Courtois and Andreas Christensen facing a race to be fit for the crucial derby match.