Maurizio Sarri has explained why he dropped Alvaro Morata from his Chelsea squad to face Manchester City, insisting the decision was merely tactical.
Sarri decided to field Eden Hazard as a lone striker against the Premier League champions, with Olivier Giroud on the bench.
Morata has scored five goals thus far this season in the top-flight, but he has struggled for form recently, drawing blanks in each of his last four appearances.
He has struggled with the opposition's offside traps, too, particularly in his side's 3-1 loss to Tottenham.
Sarri, though, maintains that he always planned to use Hazard as a sole striker, thus explaining Morata's absence.
"It’s tactical because with the side to start with Eden in another position so I think it’s useless to have two strikers on the bench," he told BT Sport.
City are also without a recognised striker up front, with Sergio Aguero ruled out and Gabriel Jesus on the bench.
Raheem Sterling has thus been tasked with playing as a false nine, and Sarri expects the two teams to go at one another with great pace.
"I don’t know (why City chose not to select a striker) because in Manchester City maybe because they have out [Sergio] Aguero," Sarri added.
"Today maybe for the first time in Premier League there is the opportunity to have more spaces.
"I prefer to play faster football."
![Raheem Sterling Man City 01122018](https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/bltf0394f2e801f7038/be421b0ee8c4c34632d2bf72aecb5a755efd48e2.jpg?format=pjpg&auto=webp&width=3840&quality=60)
Pep Guardiola, who has overseen an unbeaten start to the season, has also explained his selection of the England international ahead of his Brazilian team-mate
He said: "Well we know the movement, defensive movements from Chelsea.
"We want to find some spaces with Raheem, that’s the reason why."
City dropped to second ahead of kick-off after Liverpool thumped Bournemouth 4-0 earlier in the day.
The champions have won 13 games and drawn two from their opening 15 encounters of the season.