Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has said captain John Terry faces a massive challenge to win back his starting place.
The Blues have kept three consecutive clean sheets since the Italian tactician switched his system to a 3-4-3.
Conte, who admires Terry, feels because he’s suitable for just the central position in their back-three it could limit his opportunities.
“The two central defenders on the right and the left must be very fast and also be aggressive,” he told reporters.
“The players that play in the middle of the three defenders must be more tactical and to reflect more to find the right position. They also call the line up and down.
“These last three games we did very well. If you have an injury during the season, it’s important to have ready a good solution. For John, every day he shows me great attitude, behaviour and commitment. If John has this he can continue.”
Terry has remained on the bench in Chelsea’s last two Premier League outings their emphatic wins over champions Leicester City and title rivals Manchester United.
He missed their previous three matches, after sustaining an injury in the away draw to Swansea City, having started their opening four games.
The 35-year-old is expected to feature in the League Cup tie away to West Ham on Wednesday evening.
Since graduating from their academy in 1998 the Londoner has amassed over 700 official appearances and lifted 16 pieces of silverware including four Premier League trophies as captain which is a record he shares with Roy Keane.
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