LONDON -- Antonio Conte has said his touchline tension with Jose Mourinho is nothing more than a "sporting conflict," while he has warned his players to guard against a "very dangerous" Zlatan Ibrahimovic when Chelsea take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Both meetings between Chelsea and United at Stamford Bridge this season saw Conte and Mourinho exchange angry words from their respective technical areas and in last month's acrimonious FA Cup tie, the United manager was jeered and labelled "Judas" by a section of Blues supporters.
Mourinho took exception to Conte's rousing of Stamford Bridge in the closing stages of Chelsea's 4-0 win over United in October, while the Blues head coach expressed his frustration at what he described as the deliberate targeting of Eden Hazard with persistent and cynical fouling in March.
But as they prepare to face off again at Old Trafford, Conte is keen to stress that he harbours no personal enmity for Mourinho.
"I have zero problems [with him]," he said. "It's only a sporting competition between him and me. There is a game of football. I want to try and win with my team.
"He wants to try and win with his team. It's normal [for there] to be a conflict during the game, but only a sporting conflict."
Asked for his reaction to Mourinho's postmatch insistence last month that "Judas is still No. 1" at Stamford Bridge until another manager wins four Premier League titles for Chelsea, Conte replied: "Nothing. Nothing.
"He won a lot with this team, and this club has always showed him great respect for his past. If you remember, I said the same before the last match. Nothing has changed. We have great respect for his history at this club. Nothing has changed."
Chelsea pair Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante headlined the six-man shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year published on Thursday but it is another nominee, United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has been a prominent concern in Conte's preparations for Sunday's match.
"I think now, Zlatan is at the top of his form in his career," Conte said of Ibrahimovic, who has scored 28 goals in 44 appearances in his first season in England. "I think he's a great player now, a top player. Not only a finisher, but he plays for the team. For me, he's one of the best players in the world, Zlatan.
"We must have good defensive organisation and pay great attention because, when he attacks the box, he's very dangerous. Also when he receives the ball, he's dangerous. He's a dangerous player.
"For this reason, I think my players must pay great attention and [show] great concentration to stop him, and not only him, but the [United] team."
Hazard has emerged as Chelsea's most decisive attacker in recent weeks, contributing four goals and two assists in his last six matches, but Conte says he has made no specific plans to counteract any concerted attempts by United to limit the Belgian's influence with frequent fouling at Old Trafford.
"It's very difficult to prepare for this kind of situation," Conte said. "We are preparing the game from the tactical aspects, and then we are trying to find the best solutions: offensively and defensively.
"Don't forget this game will be very tough for both teams, and Hazard is very important for us. But I haven't prepared anything for this situation."
Chelsea have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Sunday's match, though Conte revealed that he will check on "one or two situations" before finalising his squad selection for the trip to Old Trafford.