Chelsea captain John Terry could struggle to take back starting place from David Luiz, says boss Antonio Conte
Italian is reluctant to recall Terry after the success of 3-4-3 formation in 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United
JOHN TERRY faces a fight to regain a regular starting place in Antonio Conte’s Chelsea’s back-three.
The Blues skipper will start tonight at West Ham in the EFL Cup after returning from injury. But boss Conte is reluctant to change a backline that has won three in a row and kept three clean sheets.
Asked if Terry could come back in the middle of the back-three, Conte said: “The last three games we did very well.
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“It’s normal when you play with the same players in the same roles — they take confidence.”
And Conte hinted Terry is no longer an automatic choice and will only play tonight because he wants to rest key men.
The Chelsea chief said: “It’s important in these games, for example the cup, to find new solutions.
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“Because if you have an injury during the season it’s important to have a good solution ready.
“For this reason we find a different solution. I want to see the players give me the good answer.”
Currently David Luiz sits in the middle of Conte’s back-three. It is the only position Terry could hold as a regular starter, given that the Italian wants fast players either side of his defensive anchor.