Player power has become a problem in the Premier League amid the sagas surrounding Chelsea’s Diego Costa and Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho, according to Slaven Bilic.

West Ham boss Bilic expressed sympathy for Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte on Thursday, having experienced a similar situation with wantaway Dimitri Payet last season.

The France winger went on strike to force a move to Marseille for £25million and Bilic will hope there are no tantrums from Manuel Lanzini as the Argentinian attracts interest from Liverpool.

Sagas involving the likes of Diego Costa show player power is a problem, claims Slaven Bilic

Lanzini is due to return to first-team training on Monday before hopefully being included in the squad for Newcastle United following his knee injury. As reported by Sportsmail last week, the club still want to tie the £35,000-a-week winger down to a new and improved deal.

Speaking on Thursday about the likes of Costa and Coutinho, Bilic said: ‘The power is too much on the side of the players and their agents.

‘It’s hard for the managers. Make no mistake, we are sometimes on this side and sometimes the other side. But I never, ever advise or ask the players to stop training. That’s low. That is low. It should not be like that.

‘The most important thing is that you are on the same line as your board, then you are strong.

‘It’s a club problem but at the end of the day, it’s the manager’s problem. It’ s happening now with Coutinho, with (Antonio) Conte and Costa or whoever. It’s a problem for the manager.

The Chelsea striker is currently on exile following a fall-out with manager Antonio Conte

‘Is it hard? It is very hard. Is it becoming every year harder? But that’s why I say the football game is very simple but the manager’s job is very complicated. And that’s it.

‘I know that I got a lot of praise for the (Payet) situation but I spoke to my staff, my family, “Why are they praising me for that because it was very logical thing to do?” I couldn’t do any different.’

Bilic is waiting for the thumbs up from co-chairman David Sullivan that he has Sporting Lisbon’s £36m-rated midfielder William Carvalho, though talks have stalled with other clubs now involved.

‘It is very busy,’ Bilic conceded. ‘It is becoming more busy in other clubs. I have left it to the board, to the chairman, to the people involved in those ins and outs.

‘I am concentrating only and totally on our game against Southampton. We are going to see what has happened there with ins and outs.’

Meanwhile, Bilic confirmed on Thursday that Michail Antonio will be fit to face Southampton on Saturday, while Andy Carroll is back in first-team training.