Injuries, illness and fixture congestion forced Antonio Conte to make more changes to his usual starting XI than he has for most of the season. His choices and Chelsea’s performances indicate how the Blues may move in the summer transfer window.
Chelsea’s starting lineup against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur had the most changes since Chelsea’s fourth-round FA Cup tie against Brentford. Antonio Conte made a series of shifts to accommodate Marcos Alonso’s absence against United. This resulted in the most changes between two Premier League matches since adopting the 3-4-3 in October.
Conte appears to favour a system of direct replacements for each starter. Before the FA Cup semi-final he said John Terry would only play in the centre of the back-line. Conte did not play Nathan Ake at left wing-back, viewing him only as an option for left centre-back.
"The way Ake slotted into the lineup after however many weeks without a game showed that Conte’s methods are working. But if he’s so confident in his training techniques and they are so obviously working, why doesn’t he give them more chances? Which is probably what they are thinking as well. – Daniel Mcclue, The Blue Lions"
The amount of shuffling Conte orchestrated to replace Marcos Alonso shows that Chelsea lack the depth he desires. Conte’s reluctance to rotate his squad except for injuries also shows that he views certain players as backups. Only a prolonged absence leading to a prolonged replacement – as with Willian and Pedro – can open the door for fringe players to crack the starting XI.
"I’m not too optimistic with Michy Batshuayi. Whatever Conte has been telling him in training to keep him on the side, come the summer when the transfer window opens and other clubs show their interest, it’s going to be hard for Conte to lay out these players exactly where they fit in next season. – Rayna Sidhu"
His obvious preference for Diego Costa shows that he does not rate Michy Batshuayi as a strong substitute, let along a potential starter. Chelsea will likely sell Diego Costa this summer. If so, they will likely replace him with a younger and more potent world-class striker. Whether that is Romelu Lukaku, Paulo Dybala or Alvaro Morata, the common factor is that they will all play ahead of Michy Batshuayi.
However, he will be hard-pressed to find a Chelsea-level striker willing to fill Batshuayi’s seat on the bench. Having two strong strikers may require shifting to a dual-striker formation like a 3-5-2. The 3-4-3 could then be the backup option in case one of them is unavailable.
Conte will not be willing to enter the 2017/18 campaign without stronger options at wing-back, as well. The shortage of high-quality wing-backs may force him to adapt a into the role, as he did with Victor Moses. Pedro is no more than an emergency stop-gap, leaving Cesar Azpilicueta as the likeliest option among the current Blues.
Remarkably, Kenedy is still on the Chelsea squad and would be a strong contender for the position. However, unless Conte works a Moses-level miracle this summer, Kenedy appears to have less of a future than Batshuayi.
Next: Chelsea left Tottenham with little else besides possession in dominant win
Antonio Conte’s insistence on positional depth will be even more important next season when Chelsea are in the Champions League. He will not only need a squad of backup players ready to step up, but a squad of players versatile enough to play primary or secondary roles in the different systems he devises for domestic and European competitions.