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Chelsea striker options auditioning in the next three matches

By Travis Tyler

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 16: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte shakes hands with Olivier Giroud as he leaves the pitch during The Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea and Hull City at Stamford Bridge on February 16, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 16: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte shakes hands with Olivier Giroud as he leaves the pitch during The Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea and Hull City at Stamford Bridge on February 16, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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With eyes towards the second leg against Barcelona, Antonio Conte will use the next three matches to see which striker Chelsea should use in Spain.

Every match is influenced by the match before it and the match after it. Occasionally, a match will be influenced by a game that is weeks ahead.

The trip to Barcelona will influence the next three matches. Chelsea need only to win or draw with goals advance over the Spanish side. Between now and then, there are two difficult matches and one tricky one.

So Antonio Conte will use the matches to decide the one factor that raised questions in the first leg: the striker. Against Barcelona, he opted for Eden Hazard as a false nine. This allowed him to get Hazard on the pitch while also having two hard working wingers in Pedro and Willian.

For the day, it worked well. Willian and Pedro dropped to help in defense as Hazard provided the occasional moment of trickery. But the same tactics against the same opponent in a short time span rarely work. For this reason, Conte will keep his striker options open as he tests each out in upcoming fixtures.

For Manchester United, Conte will opt for Olivier Giroud. His large presence matches up nicely with United’s physical defense. Chelsea will likely see the ball more often than United. Giroud can pin their defenders back and give them something to think about.

The next match against Manchester City will be the closest analogue to Barcelona. Pep Guardiola’s tactics were formed in the Johan Cruyff mold. Barcelona are more pragmatic this season but at home will revert to form. The striker option against City will likely be the one with the best chance of starting against Barcelona. Alvaro Morata starts if healthy. If not, it is sure to be Eden Hazard as a false nine once more.

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The next match against Crystal Palace comes days before the Barcelona trip. Even a bad Crystal Palace team is a test for Chelsea. Depending on how the previous two matches went and how the table looks, Chelsea could rotate some to rest players. But the striker situation is unlikely to change. Whoever appears unlikely to start against Barcelona will start against Crystal Palace.

In all of these matches, the striker chosen will need to prove that they are a better option than Eden Hazard in a false nine role. And Hazard will need to prove he is capable of the defensive duties that Willian and Pedro took on to keep Barcelona at bay.

If that does not happen, then the lineup will likely repeat itself against Barcelona. That may not be a bad thing, but in a tie that requires a goal to advance a true striker would be beneficial.

Conte will have to keep all of this in mind in the upcoming fixtures. The three Premier League games are important for maintaining top four but the manager will be eager to continue the Champions League campaign.

Next: Chelsea's predicted XI for Manchester United: Willian untouchable

It will be up to Giroud and Morata to prove they can offer the attacking spark needed. It will be up to Hazard to prove he can cover the hard work of Pedro or Willian. If they can do so, Conte will have a good yet difficult decision on his hands.

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