SINGAPORE - Cesc Fabregas has warned Alvaro Morata there will be pressure to adjust quickly to English football and fill the 20-goals-a-season void left by Diego Costa at Chelsea.
Fabregas is close to Costa and also knows Morata well from their time together with Spain.
"I’ve always had a good understanding with him," he said, of the new £70.6million signing from Real Madrid. "He’s always been a striker with a little bit of everything.
"He has a lot of potential to improve, the same as Michy Batshuayi. It’s up to them how far they want to go.
"They are two young strikers who have to improve as quickly as possible because they are our main strikers.
"They are taking this challenge and they will be under pressure. When you’re the striker of a top team this is what you live with and they will have to cope with it.
"If you are going to fight for all competitions you need your strikers to score lots of goals."
Morata, 24, has joined his new teammates in Singapore and his arrival will be a welcome relief to manager Antonio Conte, who is running low on options up front and has stressed the need for more players.
Happy! On my way to Singapore and very excited to be with the team! // Muy feliz y con ganas de estar ya con el equipo!! pic.twitter.com/dCvq8yWU7p
— Álvaro Morata (@AlvaroMorata) July 21, 2017
Eden Hazard is injured, out until September, Costa has been exiled in the hope of completing a move to Atletico Madrid, and Pedro suffered concussion and facial injuries in a heavy collision with Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina on Saturday.
The Spain forward was detained in a Beijing hospital for tests and observation as the rest of the squad flew to Singapore and will return to London where his condition will be reviewed. Willian scored one and Batshuayi two in the 3-0 win against Arsenal, and both forwards boast a pre-season tally of four goals from two games.
Batshuayi, signed last summer for £32m from Marseille, struggled to make an impact but the 23-year-old Belgian has been transformed since scoring the goal that won the title at West Bromwich Albion at the end of last season.
Fabregas said: "Last season, because of the schedule with no Champions League and because we went out early in the League Cup, we were all fit for most of the season.
"We had basically every midweek off and the manager didn’t have to make a lot of changes.
"I paid for it, Michy paid for it, Willian paid for it. So, we had to keep working and wait for our chance. We all did and we were all at the disposal of the manager when we were called upon.
"We did well, of course, and that gave Michy a lot of confidence and he’s having a full pre-season working with the team.
"The manager has said himself it is a long season ahead with lots of games and we will need all the players to be ready for whenever he needs us. I’m sure we will have more opportunities ahead of us."
The signing of midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko for £40m from Monaco does not deter Fabregas.
"I have been competing for 15 seasons," said the 30-year-old former Arsenal midfielder. "That will not put me down after what happened last season and how I stood up to it. I’m ready for anybody. I feel great. I understand the philosophy of the manager very, very well. I know what he wants from me."
Having been surplus to requirements this time last year, Fabregas played his way back into Conte’s plans.
"Cesc has improved a lot from when I arrived at Chelsea," said Conte. "He is a really good player who can play in midfield and can also play as a No 10.
"He is a great example to other players with his commitment and behaviour every day during training sessions. He must continue in this way because he is working well for us."