Chelsea boss Antonio Conte impressed by youngsters Nathaniel Chalobah and Ola Aine despite West Ham defeat in EFL Cup
Italian coach says he sees 'the future more clear' after academy duos performance against the Hammers
ANTONIO CONTE has a much clearer idea of what the future holds for Chelsea’s rising academy stars following the defeat at West Ham.
The Italian coach made a number of changes to his Blues side as they were dumped out of the EFL Cup courtesy of a 2-1 defeat against the Hammers.
Young guns Nathaniel Chalobah and Ola Aina were included in the Chelsea line-up for the clash on Wednesday.
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The duo, products of the club’s youth system, were replaced by the more experienced Eden Hazard and Pedro during the second half at the London Stadium as Conte’s men chased a two-goal deficit.
Despite their respective substitutions, the Chelsea chief insisted he was happy with the pair’s contribution – although he hinted further opportunities may be harder to come following their exit from the cup.
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Conte said: "I prefer to speak about the whole team but this cup was important to check the development of these young players.
"We have good young players. They needed to play. I'm disappointed that we can't play [them] in the future [of this cup, this season]. They played with the right intensity and concentration.
"When you lose, it's normal to see only the bad things. I found a lot of positive things.
"Always [they learn]. Usually you learn more after a defeat than a win. I'm optimistic. I want to see always the right spirit. I see the future more clear."
Wednesday's cup clash was marred by violent clashes between rival supporters in the stands.
A Chelsea fan had his head cut open after being struck by a coin before fighting broke out in the stands at full time.