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Chelsea: Ethan Ampadu to start as Antonio Conte attempts balancing act

By Ajitesh Rasgotra

Ethan Ampadu of Chelsea comes on during the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Chelsea at John Smith's Stadium on December 12, 2017 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Ethan Ampadu of Chelsea comes on during the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Chelsea at John Smith's Stadium on December 12, 2017 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) /
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Antonio Conte has revealed that Ethan Ampadu will start for Chelsea against Norwich as the boss looks to keep players fresh for upcoming games.

With the Champions League knock-out stages on the horizon, an increasingly tight top four race and a semi-final with Arsenal coming up, Chelsea are in the deep end. With a relatively thin squad, Antonio Conte has his work cut out trying to keep players fit and in form. In an effort to do so, the boss revealed that he will be handing a start to youngster Ethan Ampadu against Norwich on Wednesday night.

Speaking ahead of the FA Cup replay, Conte stated that the Welshman will be in the central trio of defenders.

"He will start as one of the three central defenders. He deserves to play. He’s showing that in every game I make this decision, like against Everton and Bournemouth. He’s shown me he is ready to play with the right concentration and be ready physically and tactically to play at this level. – via chelseafc.com"

Ampadu has been somewhat of a surprise package this season.The 17-year-old seemingly came out of nowhere to be in Conte’s plans. He has already tasted some first-team football and he has looked up to the task.

Unlike most FA Cup debuts, this one won’t be on a Saturday against easy lower league opposition. The Blues were poor in their initial clash with the Canaries and now face a real possibility of an upset. Despite Norwich City’s poor current Championship campaign, they pulled out a performance in the game against Chelsea. They will feel that there is an opportunity to do some giant killing and throw Conte’s team out of the competition.

Ampadu, therefore, will have to be at the top of his game. Under the lights at Stamford Bridge, the Welshman will need to be fully focussed and in-sync with his defensive partners. The slightest lapse in concentration could cost Chelsea the game and provide one of the highlights of the season.

However, these are the opportunities Chelsea youngsters yearn for. They don’t want to be starting in pre-season friendlies, they want to be given proper responsibility. It’s now up to Ampadu to prove to Conte that he can shoulder it.

Next: Five reasons signing Andy Carroll is a huge step backward

Are you looking forward to seeing Ampadu on the field? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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