Chelsea face Wolves at the weekend in the FA Cup, it provides an excellent opportunity for Antonio Conte to give the youngsters an opportunity.
The Blues have a plethora of promising talent among their ranks, but oftentimes they are starved of opportunities and shipped out on loan. Conte appears to be taking steps to integrate several of them into the first-team squad. Here’s three in particular that we could well see in action on Saturday evening.
Nathan Ake
Ake was recalled from his Bournemouth loan in the January transfer window, an indication of just how highly Conte rates him. He has yet to push past any of Chelsea’s back five and into the starting eleven, but this fixture is a great chance for him to show his manager what he can do.
Charly Musonda
Musonda has likely not been used since returning from Betis in hope that he could be sent out on loan again. If he was given a run-out for the Blues in January, he would have been ineligible to play for a third side this term. However, the transfer window is now shut and Conte could well decide to give him a chance against Wolves.
Nathaniel Chalobah
Conte opted to keep Chalobah in-and-around his first-team squad this campaign, and it has proved to be an excellent decision. The England U-21 international has shown maturity beyond his years in the midfield, and has oftentimes been used as a Mikel-esque substitution in order to help close games out.