Chelsea transfer news: Olivier Giroud admits it is ‘difficult’ being Blues' second choice striker

The Frenchman has only played the full 90 minutes twice under Maurizio Sarri this season

Olivier Giroud admitted that it has been hard to adapt to being Maurizio Sarri’s second choice striker at Chelsea this season.

Giroud has only played the full ninety minutes twice in 24 appearances so far this campaign, with Sarri often opting to start Eden Hazard in a false nine position ahead of the Frenchman.

Alvaro Morata is reportedly edging towards a move to Atletico Madrid, but Chelsea will bring in a replacement with Gonzalo Higuain joining from AC Milan looking increasingly likely.

Giroud travels to the Emirates on Sunday to face his old club Arsenal and admitted it had been tough to adapt to a second fiddle role on the back of winning the World Cup in the summer.

“It’s not me who decides the team, making the starting eleven, but obviously every single player wants to play every single game,” Giroud told ESPN.

“As a competitor obviously I can’t be happy to stay on the bench, but I keep that frustration with me and try to transform it into positive energy to work hard in training.

“It’s true that every time I play from the start I try to bring something to the team, to play my part. But in these 14 games I started maybe only half of them, so it’s a bit difficult to be consistent in this case.”

Giroud left Arsenal on amicable terms after the Gunners signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January 2018, and went on to win the FA Cup in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

“The first six months [at Chelsea] were very good for me,” Giroud continued. “I needed to leave Arsenal because of the fact that Arsene Wenger wanted to play with a different kind of striker.

Olivier Giroud won the FA Cup with Chelsea in his first season at Stamford Bridge (Getty)

“I settled really well -- it’s like I was part of this Chelsea team for a long time. I felt very good, with a good understanding with the players. We won the FA Cup and I played a few games, and then I had the opportunity to go to the World Cup. It was very good for me.

“Then after, when I came back late from the World Cup, it was a bit different because the new manager came and you have to start again.

“It has been a little bit difficult for me to be honest, this last month, but I will keep fighting to play in this team.”