It will be fair to say that Antonio Conte hasn’t had the desired start to his Chelsea career. With just 3 wins in the first 6 matches, Conte is currently struggling at the back with his defense line. The absence of John Terry seems to really have hit the Blues at the wrong time, David Luiz was brought in on deadline day as a cover for the former English international but the Brazilian has been very unstable till now. Since his arrival, Chelsea have conceded 11 goals in 4 matches. Apart from Diego Costa and Eden Hazard fleetingly, none of the Chelsea players have really found their touch this season. According to reports in the newspaper, the board at Chelsea are ready to give Conte a substantial budget in the January transfer window to bring in the necessary reinforcements.
Conte is still not sure what his best starting XI is, as the exclusion of Fabregas from the starting XI has seemed shocking to some supporters but when the Spaniard did finally get his chance against Arsenal, he looked completely out of sorts. Over the coming international break, Conte will have a lot of thinking to do regarding his team selections. Here we tell you about the 3 players who should definitely be in the starting XI this season.
1. John Terry
Over the summer there was slight controversy when Chelsea weren’t offering Terry a contract extension but as soon as Conte took charge, the Italian made sure the 35-year-old signed a new contract. Fast forward, a few months and we can see why Conte made that decision. Terry’s absence at the back is one of the major reasons for the slump Chelsea are going through right now. Even if Chelsea get in a new centre-half in the winter transfer window, it is unlikely that he will be able to provide the kind of leadership and solidity that Terry does. Luiz has looked shaky since coming back and Cahill doesn’t seem to function well without Terry by his side.
2. Eden Hazard
The 2014-2015 player of the year endured a frustrating last season up until the final few weeks. This season Hazard started off brilliantly but seems to have gone off boil in the past couple of weeks. The Belgian is still rated amongst the best players in the world and has the ability to win matches single-handedly. Sooner or later he is going to find that rhythm which made him so lethal two seasons ago. Till Conte must trust his talent and give him the opportunity to find that missing touch. If he starts putting in strong performances consistently, there is no reason why Chelsea can’t mount a serious title challenge this season, even after such a wobbly start.
3. Diego Costa
Even though Chelsea brought the hugely talented forward Michy Batshuayi in the summer, it is Diego Costa who remains the number one forward at the club. The Spanish striker has been at his beastly best this season, scoring 5 goals in 6 matches. His aggression and energy up front are crucial in how Chelsea play. There were rumours in the summer linking the 27-year-old with a move back to Spain but it is unlikely that the Blues will let him go especially without a quality cover to come in his place.
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