Antonio Conte takes Chelsea training amid uncertainty over future

• Conte oversees first full day of pre-season training on Monday
• Maurizio Sarri lined up to replace Italian at Stamford Bridge

Antonio Conte ostensibly remains in charge at Chelsea after taking training on Monday, on the first full day of pre-season, despite ongoing uncertainty over his immediate future with the Italian expecting to be sacked and Maurizio Sarri, the former Napoli coach, teed up as his successor.

For Conte, who has 12 months to run on his £9m-a-year contract, it remains business as usual and the Italian returned to Cobham on Saturday, with two days of medical testing, led by his fitness coaches and other backroom staff, taking place before full training commenced this week. Conte did not oversee the medical tests at the weekend, with his own pre-determined training programme always scheduled to begin this week.

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