Date: 24th August 2016 at 6:33pm
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In recent years, Chelsea’s young stars have been loaned out to all and sundry in search of first team football.

Experience is incredibly important for young players, and if they’re ever to burst through into the starting XI, they’ll need to get that under their belts.

Football these days, however, is a big money business, and with that big money comes big pressure. That means there’s not much chance to blood young players – every game matters and none of them are easy.

That’s been a problem Chelsea have faced over the past few years, and it’s also been a charge levelled at the club: they have all these wonderful youth products who constantly win youth tournaments, but then get loaned out to clubs around the world. And then they get sold.

And although some of the current crop of Chelsea youngsters are already loaned out to clubs around Europe, it seems that some of the youngsters still at the club this summer will be given the chance to gain some first team experience at Chelsea this year, rather than being loaned out.

It seems that Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Nathaniel Chalobah and Ola Aina could all be given first-team experience this season.

After the 3-2 victory over Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte told the London Evening Standard: “I am happy with his commitment and his attitude.

“Ruben has great potential. He is a young player who can improve a lot. I see him every day and during the training sessions he wants to improve, he wants to work very hard and I like this.”

“He has the right characteristics to play in this role [as a striker]. He is physically very strong, he is very good playing with his back to goal, he also has good technique, he sees the goal very well, and he has a good shot. He can play in this role.”

“It’s right to give opportunities to young players like Loftus with great talent to stay with the first team and help us. It’s the same for [Ola] Aina”

It has also been confirmed that Chelsea’s Nathaniel Chalobah will remain at the club this season, rather than being sent out on loan.

These are exciting times at Chelsea, and they might get even better if Blues fans get to see some talented youth finally getting their chance in the first team under Conte.

 

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