Antonio Conte admits he is unsure what to expect as he prepares for his first experience of the demanding Premier League holiday programme.

The Chelsea head coach spent his entire career as a player and then manager in Italy and is well used to enjoying an extended break at this time of year. On this occasion, however, the family holiday will be swapped for a Christmas Day training session at the club’s Cobham training ground ahead of Monday’s meeting with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.

Conte is well aware Fabio Capello, the former England manager, was adamant the lack of a winter break had a detrimental effect on the fortunes of the national team at summer tournaments after a gruelling, nine-month campaign. He insists, though, he has an open mind on the impact of the holiday programme on his players.

“I always had a winter break when I stayed in Italy,” said Conte. “Now I have this situation in England, and I heard a lot of coaches saying you should stop and have a winter break. Above all with the national team. Capello always said the lack of a winter break penalised the national team. It's very difficult to reply to this question.

“To play in this period, the atmosphere we find in this period is very difficult to find in another period. It's fantastic. It's very difficult for me to say if it's positive or negative to play during the Christmas period. But for me, it's my first experience and I'm very happy to have this experience.”

Conte’s introduction to Christmas football will be eased by the arrival of his family in London from Italy although he admits they too will have to adjust to their new circumstances.

“My wife and my daughter will arrive to prepare to celebrate Christmas at my house with my brothers, with my parents and the family,” he said. “This is the first experience for me and my family of playing football at this time of year. It can be, and I hope it will be, a fantastic experience.

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Show all 23 1 /23 Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Wayne Hennessey: 5 out of 10 Lost confidence after conceding, and should have done better with Chelsea's third. Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Joel Ward: 7 out of 10 Impressed, both in defence and in delivering from the right flank, before the game was up. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Scott Dann: 6 out of 10 Never stopped fighting in a lost cause. 2015 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Damien Delaney: 6 out of 10 Held back by an early yellow card, he lost this season's round two with Costa. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Pape Souare: 5 out of 10 Ended the game flat on his back, and the preceding 90 minutes weren't much better. Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings James McArthur: 6 out of 10 Showed his worth in protecting the defence and supporting the attack. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Mile Jedinak: 5 out of 10 Chased shadows in midfield before being booked and replaced. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Jason Puncheon: 7 out of 10 The most likely to make something happen for Palace, he was let down by his teammates' finishing. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Wilfried Zaha: 5 out of 10 Frustrated down the flank, his crossing and shooting lacked assertiveness. 2015 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Lee Chung-Yong: 5 out of 10 Tidy in possession, but his final ball was often inaccurate. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Fraizer Campbell: 5 out of 10 His manager wants a striker this transfer window, and this performance will not convince him otherwise. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Thibaut Courtois: 6 out of 10 Had little to do in facing Palace's makeshift attack. Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Branislav Ivanovic: 6 out of 10 Uncompromising in his defensive duel with Zaha. 2015 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Kurt Zouma: 8 out of 10 Made some crucial first-half interceptions as Palace threatened to counter. Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings John Terry: 7 out of 10 Utilised all of his experience to marshal his team to victory. 7 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta: 7 out of 10 A tidy performance at left-back where he showed a new willingness to get forward. Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Cesc Fabregas: 8 out of 10 Demonstrated his true ability at times, most notably with a lovely through ball in the build-up to Oscar's opener. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings John Obi Mikel: 7 out of 10 Fortunate to escape a red card, let alone a yellow, but displayed his usual positional discipline to full effect. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Willian: 9 out of 10 A very good performance that sparked into a great one during ten second half minutes in which he scored one and made one. Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Oscar: 8 out of 10 A continual nuisance in and around the Palace box, he set Chelsea on their way to success. 8 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Eden Hazard: 5 out of 10 Lasted just 16 minutes in what was one of his better performances this season. 5 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Diego Costa: 9 out of 10 Showed rare maturity in dealing both with Delaney's physical presence, and setting up the first goal. Deserved his when it came. 2016 Getty Images Crystal Palace vs Chelsea player ratings Best off the bench: Pedro 7 out of 10 Replaced Hazard, and immediately showed an attacking intent. GETTY IMAGES