Antonio Conte has made clear to Cesc Fàbregas he must improve on the defensive aspects of his game if he is to force his way back into the Chelsea first-team, with the Italian urging all his players to learn to sense danger better in matches as they strive for greater solidity.
Fàbregas has played 26 minutes of top-flight football this season, with cameos from the bench at Watford and Swansea City, and is expected to miss out again when Liverpool visit Stamford Bridge on Friday. Instead, Conte has preferred the industry of Oscar and Nemanja Matic in front of N’Golo Kanté’s busy energy, leaving the former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder on the outside looking in.
The Chelsea manager has stressed the 29-year-old Fàbregas still has a future at the club but has favoured the better balance between attack and defence offered by Oscar. “Cesc is in my plans and in Chelsea’s plans,” said Conte. “We all know Cesc is a fantastic player. I see him in every training session with great work and effort. If he continues in this way, it’ll be very difficult for me not to choose him in my midfield. But I want this from a player, putting many doubts in my mind over choosing someone else.
“Cesc is a great player. We all know Cesc, a great technical player. Now I’m starting to get to know him as a man. A great personality. I’m pleased with him. He’s working very well. He’s improving a lot on many aspects, above all the defensive situations. I’m very clear with my players: when a player deserves to play, I put him in the team.
“I always thought that this team needed to find a good balance when you have the ball and, above all, when you don’t have the ball. Last season Chelsea conceded 53 goals. Now, we have found the right compromise between defensive and offensive situations. Oscar is a good player, great technique and can do both facets: both offensive and defensive. I asked him to stay always focused on the game, to stay in the game. He’s an important player for Chelsea.”
Chelsea have kept one clean sheet this term, in the emphatic success over Burnley, and conceded twice in two minutes around the hour-mark at Swansea on Sunday – albeit the second after a foul on Gary Cahill – to erode their lengthy dominance in that game. The defensive frailties have been a concern to Conte, who had strived all summer to add a centre-half from Italy to the books. Chelsea eventually re-signed David Luiz from Paris Saint-Germain as the deadline loomed, with the Brazilian to make his second debut for the club against Liverpool in the absence of the injured John Terry.
There is conviction within the coaching setup that David Luiz will prove his quality following his £34m return from PSG, though Conte has been working with his entire squad at Cobham to bring more defensive discipline to their approach. “We are working on this a lot,” he said. “It’s not easy. I always repeat to my players: we must feel the danger. Always, feel the dangers during the match.
“The English league is very difficult, very tough, and it’s difficult to manage a result at 1-0 or 2-0. It’s easier to do that in Italy where you can control the situation better. In England, in the last 20 minutes, anything can happen. One long ball and you can concede a goal.
“We prepare this game with great attention. Liverpool attack with two wingers and a forward very narrow in the line, and then they have the full-backs very wide. They attack with five, six and seven players and penetrate from midfield. This situation is very difficult when you don’t have the ball – that can be a problem – but does create possibilities when you win the ball to find space.”
