Antonio Conte’s hands-on coaching style got the better of the Chelsea manager over Christmas.

The Italian got involved in running with his players at their Cobham HQ but pulled up with a calf problem.

It was nothing serious but said a lot about Conte’s style of coaching, as he adds a personal touch to training sessions by participating in drills from time to time.

Antonio Conte suffered a calf problem while undertaking one of his drills in Chelsea training

The Italian manager is renowned for his hands-on approach on the training ground

Conte gets involved when he wants to put a specific point across to his Chelsea players, who sit top of the Premier League table.

Chelsea have won 12 consecutive games and are going for a 13th at Stoke on Saturday.

Training under Conte has been labelled ‘back-breaking’ by former players but the new regime at Chelsea, which also includes using cameras to record sessions for TV analysis, is working.

Conte gets involved when he wants to put a specific point across to his Chelsea players

Training under Conte has been labelled ‘back-breaking’ by some of his former players

His getting involved has impressed members of Chelsea's squad, too – as it is not always usual for a manager to do so.

Conte is preparing for a January transfer window that could decide whether he wins the title in his first season at Chelsea.