Conte needs to give these 2 fringe Chelsea players a chance in the second-half of the season
Antonio Conte has done a stellar job managing the players at his disposal so far this season…
He has, somehow, managed to turn a group of underperforming, overpaid disappointing players into a group of winners – with the Blues are now on course to break the Premier League record for consecutive wins – should they beat Tottenham on Wednesday.
The job he has done has been near perfect, but despite all of his successes – there has been one outstanding complaint from the majority of the Chelsea fans – and that is that he has largely achieved his success by using a specific group of 11 or 12 players.
Granted, the fact that he has achieved so much with such a small group is impressive and he deserves credit, but that system also has its drawbacks.
There are a number of players within the Chelsea first team squad that deserve a chance and that have worked hard to be given an opportunity – but as of yet, that chance hasn’t come.
Conte is always going to have his preferred starting eleven, but against weaker opposition or when a game is won – he needs to start utilising the rest of his squad.
With that said, Conte needs to give these 2 fringe Chelsea players a chance in the second-half of the season…
Michy Batshuayi
Michy Batshuayi has been receiving a lot of attention recently for his lack of game time, and in truth – a lot of it is justified.
Whenever the Belgian has played he has looked good, be it from the bench or from the start – but Conte just doesn’t seem to rate him.
He hasn’t been given much of a chance this season, and whilst Diego Costa has done well and prevented Batshuayi from really gaining a foothold – the Spaniard’s injury record is clear for all to see. All it would take it for Costa to miss a few games and Conte would have very few options beyond an inexperienced Batshuayi.
Conte needs to start utilising the Belgian and embedding him in the team – or he could see the Blues’ title challenge go up in flames.
Nathaniel Chalobah
Nathaniel Chalobah had been a part of the Chelsea loan army for months, but under Conte – the young English midfielder has gained a bit of a foothold in the first team.
He has yet to start in the Premier League, but like Batshuayi, when he has played he has looked good – and he would be a perfect substitute for N’Golo Kante in the middle-of-the-park for Chelsea.
He is reaching a vital stage in his career, and Conte must ensure that he does not waste his talent.