Zappacosta: I would love to stay in Rome

Chelsea defender Davide Zappacosta admits he has no desire to return to the London club, saying he would "love to stay in Rome for several reasons".

The 27-year-old full-back only played 12 minutes before he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a training session at the end of August.

The Italian signed a contract extension with Chelsea last summer through to June 2022 prior to linking up on loan with Roma and he has no intention of returning to Stamford Bridge in the off-season.

"On a personal level, I would love to stay in Rome for several reasons," Zappacosta told Sky Sport Italia.

"The main one is that I want to show the fans, my team-mates and the management who I am and what I can do.

"I have worked a lot in these months, I have trained, and I have made sacrifices to be available at the restart of the championship.

"I am doing some sessions completely dedicated to the knee, because it takes time to recover better from this injury. But now I feel 90 percent fit."

The Italy international moved to Stamford Bridge from Torino in 2017 and helped the Blues win the FA Cup in his debut season and added the Europa League trophy last season.

"England and Chelsea have given me a lot," added Zappacosta. "I had the chance to play with great champions and win two trophies.

"The Premier League is a championship where people never give up."

- TEAMtalk media