The FA Cup third round is upon us and Premier League leaders Chelsea will kick-off their campaign against League One side Peterborough at the Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Chelsea who lost their first game in the league since October against Tottenham on Wednesday night will be looking to bounce back from the defeat over the weekend and will be hoping to progress further in the competition.
Manager Antonio Conte has looked to stick with an established playing XI this term and hasn’t chopped and changed the core of the squad much. However, the cup clash against a lower league side will provide an opportunity for the Italian to give some game time to certain fringe players who have had to watch from the sidelines.
Here we pick three youngsters from the Blues squad who haven’t featured regularly but deserve to be given a run in the FA Cup contest on Sunday:
The 20-year old versatile defender has been an ever-present on the Chelsea benches this term but has made only 2 Premier League appearances as a substitute clocking a total of eight minutes only. However, Aina did feature two times in the EFL Cup, in the 3-2 win over Bristol Rovers in the second round and the 1-2 loss against West Ham in the fourth round where Chelsea were dumped out of the tournament.
The defender, who can play on the right-side or the left-side or even in an advanced position on the flanks joined the Chelsea academy as a winger back in 2008 and has evolved into a strong full-back. Blessed with great pace and acceleration, Aina is also a good reader of the game and is a strong defender. With Victor Moses having featured so heavily, he could do with some rest and Aina should get a look in on Sunday.
22-year old Chalobah has been at Chelsea since he was a 10-year old. Having spent the majority of his time with the Blues out on loan, he has been used by Antonio Conte sparingly this term. Chalobah has made 8 substitute appearances in the English top division totalling up to 71 minutes in which he has grabbed an assist as well. He featured from the start against West Ham in the League Cup, having made a substitute appearance in the previous round against Leicester City.
Chalobah, who can play as a defender as well as a midfielder has had to wait for a long time for his opportunities in the Chelsea first team. Known for his extremely efficient work-rate both in attack and defence, the 22-year old is strong aerially and can be an asset in the midfield for Chelsea in the middle of the park if they decide to rest N’Golo Kante for the FA Cup contest.
After having featured quite prominently last season under interim boss Guus Hiddink, Ruben Loftus-Cheek would have been very hopeful ahead of the start of this term but has struggled to break into the team under Conte. The 20-year old has made just a single substitute appearance in the Premier League, but he did start two games in the EFL Cup against Bristol Rovers – in which he set up a goal.
Loftus-Cheek started out as a deep midfielder but showed some positive signs higher up the pitch under Hiddink in the latter parts of the 2015-16 term. Good with the ball at his feet and possessing a keen eye for a pass, the 20-year old has drawn comparisons with German legend Michael Ballack. His calm demeanour and the physical presence in the midfield could come in handy for the Blues against Peterborough.
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