
Chelsea
goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says head coach Antonio Conte has the full
support of his players.
The Premier League champions ended a three-game winless run last weekend
with a 4-2 victory over Watford, but Conte's future was brought into
question ahead of the match.
The Italian has had to defend his record with Chelsea nine points behind
Manchester City after nine games in this season's title race.
"When a top team has a few bad results the first thing people try to say is
that the players are not happy and we're not behind the coach," Courtois
told the club's official website.
"But against Watford, you saw we fought for every moment and we fought when
we were down, so everybody can see we're behind the coach.
"Those rumours are easy to spread but I don't think they are true. If
somebody is unhappy, instead of going to the press I think they would say it
internally, so it's not true.
"First of all, it's the players that have to do it on the pitch so it was
important to win, to fight. At the moment it's more running, fighting and
battling for every ball than maybe the best football."
Chelsea face Everton in the Carabao Cup with their visitors without a
permanent manager following the sacking of Ronald Koeman, but Courtois is
aware of the threat Everton will pose at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
"It's a cup, and with any cup you want to win it," Courtois added.
"You want to go far. With injuries, maybe we don't have the possibility to
rotate a lot so we will have to see what team the manager puts out, but I
don't think it's a moment to relax.
"In the Premier League we have to fight to keep on winning games and the
Carabao Cup is something else, so we must try to do our best and go far.
"Everton have been struggling at the moment. I don't think they are playing
badly but they have conceded some sloppy goals, and other teams have had
more luck, but the Premier League is hard.
"This is another competition, though, and they will be ready to win it."