Antonio Conte Comments on Use of Chelsea Youngsters After Victory vs. Leicester

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said he has total faith in the club’s young players after the 3-0 win over Leicester City on Saturday and that age is not important when it comes to selecting his side.

During that clash, Conte named five academy graduates on the bench, one of whom was 35-year-old skipper John Terry. Of the quintet, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ola Aina and Nathaniel Chalobah came off the bench to feature, with the latter superbly setting up Victor Moses for Chelsea’s third goal of the day.

The Italian manager suggested he has no problem using youngsters if they’re up to the standard required, per Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail:

"

People who know me will know I don't gift a place to anyone.

Only those who deserve to play will play for me. It is important for Chalobah and Aina to understand this.

When I have called Chalobah he has always answered me in a positive way.

If they are ready I will put them in.

In the future they can play from the start. Age is not important. I made my first appearance in Serie A at only 16.

"

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The Blues have been criticised in the past for failing to give young players a chance in the senior setup.

Despite boasting a revered academy and youth teams that have enjoyed myriad successes in recent seasons, the Stamford Bridge crowd haven’t witnessed enough prospects make the step up.

Indeed, per Sky Sports Statto, a lot of players like Chalobah have spent time on loan away from the club:

In the past, Chelsea managers may not have felt in a position to give youth a chance in the senior team, as few have been able to build a team with the long term in mind.

Owner Roman Abramovich has a reputation for being trigger happy when it comes to firing bosses, and subsequently, coaches may be less inclined to put their trust in untried upstarts—especially when the Blues have the funds to go out and sign some of the world’s best players if needed.

However, it’s important to have a clear pathway from the academy to the senior setup, even with these riches available. Not only does organic development potentially save the club millions, it inspires those further down in the infrastructure, provides competition to the first team and gives supporters a boost.

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It’ll cultivate a feel-good factor in the dressing room, too. As we can see via his Twitter feed, Aina was delighted to be involved:

What will be intriguing is whether or not Conte looks to use these youngsters from the start in games. After all, Aina and Loftus-Cheek were only introduced to the match in the 82nd minute, by which time the Blues had already secured a 3-0 lead. Bringing them on with a fixture in the balance is another matter entirely.

Nevertheless, in the past, Chelsea managers have opted against giving these types of prospects a chance at all. So while Conte’s comments will no doubt be put to the test in months to come, it’s a big step in the right direction for those tied to the Blues.