Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has urged Cesc Fabregas to improve defensively in order to earn a regular place in the starting line-up.
Fabregas has been used sparingly by Conte in the early weeks of the campaign, with the new manager preferring to call upon N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic at the base of the midfield.
However, Conte is pleased with Fabregas’ attitude and the improvement that the Spaniard has demonstrated in training.
As reported by The Times, Conte said: “Cesc is 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’m pleased with him and he’s working very well. I want to see the same attitude, the same behaviour of Cesc.”
Conte is justified to have concerns about Fabregas’ defensive ability, with the midfielder having been successful with just 37% of his his attempted tackles in the Premier League last season.
However, there is little doubt about Fabregas’ ability on the ball- he was successful with 84% of his attempted passes in the Premier League last season, while he created 66 chances, the joint-highest amount in the Chelsea squad.
It remains to be seen whether Fabregas will play any part when Chelsea host Liverpool in the Premier League tonight, but, regardless of whether the midfielder features, the Blues will be seeking to extend their unbeaten start to the campaign, having won three and drawn one of their top flight fixtures so far.
The fact that Chelsea aren’t involved in European competitions this season could well benefit them in terms of enabling the club to focus on their domestic commitments.
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