Nathan Ake provides Chelsea’s starters a chance to rest ahead of clash at Liverpool

Nathan Ake will likely make his second Chelsea debut tomorrow against Brentford in the FA Cup. How will Antonio Conte balance experience and rotation with the rest of his defence?

Antonio Conte all but confirmed that Nathan Ake will be in his first Chelsea starting XI since returning to the club earlier this month. Ake proved himself sufficiently at Bournemouth to warrant a recall, but this will be Conte’s first chance to see how well he is adapting to the Chelsea way.

Despite Ake’s Premier League experience, Conte may opt to cover him with more experienced Chelsea players on the back-line. Conte noted that Gary Cahill is recovering well from his collision with Hull City’s Ryan Mason. Since Cahill finished the match against Hull, any delayed consequences from the impact would have resulted in a conspicuous absence from the training ground.

If Conte has any concerns about Cahill’s physical and psychological recovery he will keep Cahill out of the lineup. Despite saying that he is wholly focused on Saturday’s tie, Conte’s priority clearly is Tuesday’s tilt against Liverpool. He will not want to make any changes to his best XI at Anfield, so he will approach such decisions with extra caution.

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Cahill’s recovery and Ake’s relative inexperience ensure John Terry’s place in the squad. Kurt Zouma played in the previous FA Cup tie against Peterborough. These matches are a key part of his return to the team for next year.

Zouma and Ake have more than enough pace to balance out Terry’s lack thereof. And Terry has the experience and leadership to compensate for what Zouma and Ake bring. An Ake-Terry-Zouma back three would be more than competent for Brentford and would best prepare Chelsea’s usual backline for Liverpool.

The other broad possibility is Antonio Conte starting Nathan Ake at left wing-back. This would give Marcos Alonso a rest day ahead of his heavy responsibilities against Liverpool. If Ake plays at wing-back, the backline will almost certainly be Zouma, Terry and Cahill. This would be Ake-lite, in terms of him showing what he will bring to Chelsea over the next few years.

Ake has the ability to play wing-back, but is much more effective – and important to the team’s evolution – as centre-back. Kenedy would be a more potent replacement for Alonso. But playing Kenedy tomorrow would preclude a second-half loan.

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Chelsea could use the depth at left wing-back that Kenedy provides. Even if he would not feature in many games this season, training at Chelsea for the remainder of the season would set him up well for the increased schedule demands coming next year.