LONDON -- Maurizio Sarri has confirmed that Victor Moses and Danny Drinkwater are not in his tactical plans this season, but added that he will rotate his team more during the frantic festive fixture schedule.
Moses established himself as a key figure at right wing-back under Antonio Conte, but Sarri's arrival has seen Chelsea switch to a 4-3-3 formation and the Nigerian is once again battling for minutes on the wing with Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian.
Drinkwater, a £30 million signing from Leicester City in the summer of 2017, has not featured in any competition for Chelsea since the Community Shield in August and Sarri suggested that the England international will not be playing for him any time soon.
"I think the situation is that Drinkwater for me is not suitable for a midfield with two other midfielders," Sarri said. "I told him two months ago what I think.
"Moses is more suitable for playing wing-back than like a winger or a full-back, I think. I don't know [if they have a future at Chelsea]. They have to improve but their characteristics are a little bit different."
Sarri has used just 19 different players in the Premier League this season -- Wolves (17) are the only team to have fielded fewer -- and several of the players on the fringes of Chelsea's squad have publicly expressed frustration with their lack of minutes.
But as the domestic schedule intensifies in December, Sarri said he expects that situation to change.
"We have used 26 players in official matches [in all competitions] this season so the rotation at the moment is this, but I don't know in the future," he said.
"If you look only in the Premier League the situation is that, you are right [only used 19 players] but I have to look at all competitions: 90 minutes are 90 minutes. You have to look at the League Cup, Europa League and the national team.
"I have to look also to the minutes in the national teams. So I think the rotation is good. Every moment was done only between the Europa League, League Cup and Premier League but in the future it will be different.
"If you look at December and January, you need to change also in the Premier League because we will play every three days in the Premier League. So we need to change in the Premier League."