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Five Chelsea FC players who need to impress Antonio Conte

By Ajitesh Rasgotra

MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 29: Head coach Italy Antonio Conte reacts during the international friendly match between Germany and Italy at Allianz Arena on March 29, 2016 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 29: Head coach Italy Antonio Conte reacts during the international friendly match between Germany and Italy at Allianz Arena on March 29, 2016 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 13 : Nemanja Matic of Chelsea during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on February 13, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 13 : Nemanja Matic of Chelsea during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on February 13, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) /

2. Nemanja Matic – Drew Hooper

After arriving from Benfica, Nemanja Matic was simply a revelation for a season and a half, then the 2015/2016 campaign dawned and something changed for him. All across the board the Serbian’s numbers have dropped drastically. The man who once shielded the back-line and helped bolster the top defense in 2014/15 is now seemingly a shell of himself.

According to Whoscored.com he now averages 20 fewer passes per game and one less tackle per game, along with two fewer clearances per game. With the sudden drop off in form in what should be the peak of his playing days, Matic is now auditioning for newly appointed Antonio Conte.

For the midfielder his time is quickly running out; with Hiddink wanting to make this final stretch about the youth it quite possibly might already be up. If a chance presents itself this season what does Matic need to show to improve his stock for next season?

Out of all the players potentially on the way out, Matic has the simplest path to convincing Conte to keep him on. All the midfielder has to do is return to being the ball winner in the center of the pitch that Chelsea fans fell in love with.

In 2014/15 the Serbian was constantly popping up in spots where the opposition looked to be threatening, and time after time he was winning the ball back and funneling it out to the attacking players. With this season winding down Matic should only have one mentality when handed a spot in the squad: be aggressive. He doesn’t need wonder goals or assists, he merely needs to win the ball and put in a workmanlike performance every time he steps foot on the field.

If he can produce in the manner in which fans have come to expect of him, Conte will have no choice but to keep Matic at Stamford Bridge. The midfielder has shown he can be world class, but in his current form he is setting himself up to be cast off by the start of next season.

Next: 3. Willian

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