Antonio Conte hints at Chelsea team ahead of Wolves clash

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte laid his cards on the table when discussing team selection for the Blues’ FA Cup clash with Wolves.

Antonio Conte has generally been tight lipped during his Chelsea press conferences. In today’s press conference, however, Conte opened quite a bit and gave more information than he ever has to reporters.

When not being asked the usual silly questions (like about a Champions League final from over 20 years ago), Conte gave several interesting tidbits that help to give insight into the squad for the Wolves match.

First up was a confirmation that John Terry is healthy. After suffering a rather gruesome looking training injury that required stitches, it was expected Terry would be out for a while. But the captain will not be held down, and will be available.

He will likely play as well, as Conte also admitted David Luiz and Marco Alonso are to be rested. Luiz is a no brainer. He has been fighting through injury since Sergio Aguero’s tackle, and has gone through various stages of healing and re-injury since.

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Alonso also does not come as much of a surprise, as the FA Cup is the only chance to rest Chelsea’s sole option at left wing back against top opposition.

This leaves room open for Nathan Ake as either a center back or a wing back. It could also open spots for Kurt Zouma or Kenedy to find precious minutes as they continue their development.

But it only offers an opportunity, as Conte appeared to say Wolves will see a stronger than usual cup lineup from Chelsea. Conte mentioned that he wants to win every trophy available (because a reporter actually asked that question), and mentioned the Premier League opponents Wolves had already beaten. Conte went on to say that he does not like too many of his players to go almost two weeks without playing.

This implies that Conte is thinking of starting a strong side peppered with some of the usual starters. The manager mentioned that the right balance must be found between youth and experience. This casts doubt over Conte’s usual level of rotation, making only Asmir Begovic and Nathan Ake certain starters.

Finally, Conte mentioned a few players that will not feature. He was surprisingly candid on Dominic Solanke, saying that the player’s will is to leave Chelsea. This is not a surprise, but it is surprising to hear Conte speak so freely about it. It means Solanke is guaranteed not to play for Chelsea unless something drastically changes.

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Also, Charly Musonda will not be in the FA Cup squad. Conte said he is working with the fitness coaches on his physical condition and will play with the academy as the first team squad faces Wolves.

It is not all doom and gloom for the youth, though, as Conte was adamant that the first team must have a link to the academy. This implies that Conte will not shy away from giving the youth a chance in the right circumstances.

Overall, Conte revealed more of his squad set up before a match than he ever has. While it may not be safe to assume the rotation will be heavy once more, it is still incredibly likely some of the nonstarters will feature. Players such as Kurt Zouma, Nathan Ake, Asmir Begovic, John Terry, Nathaniel Chalobah, Willian, Cesc Fabregas, Asmir Begovic and Michy Batshuayi may have a chance alongside the usual starters filling out the lineup.