LONDON -- Antonio Conte says it is "too early" to talk about the possibility of Cesc Fabregas leaving Chelsea on loan in January and that he wants the Spain international to focus on getting back to full fitness.

Fabregas has started just one Premier League match under Conte this season and has missed Chelsea's last four games in all competitions after picking up a thigh injury that his head coach described as "very strange" in the buildup to last month's 4-0 win over champions Leicester City at Stamford Bridge.

The performances of Nemanja Matic and summer signing N'Golo Kante in Conte's new 3-4-3 system have raised further doubts over Fabregas' future at Stamford Bridge, and reports in Italy this week claimed that Chelsea could be willing to let the 29-year-old leave on loan, with AC Milan reportedly interested.

Asked about the reports in a news conference to preview Chelsea's clash with Everton on Saturday, Conte said: "For now, we are at the start of November and it's important to look at the present and build something in the present that's important for the future.

"It's too early to talk [about January]. Fabregas is Chelsea's player and I'm very happy to have him in my squad. Now it's important he recovers very well, finds the right form to come back with us, and stays with us and the team."

Fabregas will not be available to face Everton despite returning to full training at Cobham this week, but Conte expects the Spain international to be fully fit again after the November international break.

Cesc Fabregas has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea under Antonio Conte. Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

If Fabregas were allowed to leave Stamford Bridge on a temporary basis in January, the number of players on loan from Chelsea this season would rise to 38. The system has proved controversial and this week FIFA president Gianni Infantino signalled his desire to introduce measures to limit clubs who stockpile large numbers of players and send them out to other clubs.

Infantino's remarks were put to Conte in the news conference and fielded instead by Steve Atkins, Chelsea's head of communications, who said: "If his comments are directed our way, it shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how our loan strategy works because it has player development at its core. We'd welcome him paying us a visit so we can show how our system works."

Saturday's match will see Chelsea face a notable former loanee in Romelu Lukaku, who has established himself as one of the Premier League's most dangerous strikers since leaving Stamford Bridge for Everton in a £28 million deal in the summer of 2014.

Asked if he regrets not having Lukaku at his disposal, Conte replied: "No, absolutely not. We have Diego who is playing fantastic football, not only scoring the goals but working a lot and very well for the team. I think that I'm seeing a complete player in Diego.

"It's fantastic for me, for the team, to have him in the team. Also because he's scoring a lot. But above all because he's working a lot for the team. That's very important. When we have our strikers, and Diego and Eden and Pedro and Willian and Oscar... all working so well for the team, it's fantastic.

"I have nothing to regret. Also I like to talk about my players, and not the players of the other teams. Lukaku is a very good player, young and improving a lot, but it's right to talk about my players. I'm very satisfied with my players. I hope Diego continues in this way because his commitment is incredible."