Chelsea Boss Antonio Conte’s Key Decisions Ahead of 2016/17 Season

Now that pre-season is officially over, Antonio Conte is counting down the days to his first competitive match as Chelsea boss.

It comes on Monday, rounding off the Premier League’s opening weekend with a home clash with West Ham United. A London derby under the lights against bitter rivals—that alone is enough to whet the appetite.

What has got Chelsea supporters excited, however, are the changes Conte has brought in this summer. He’s switched formations and is utilising players in different areas. The team’s dynamic is looking more appealing, and the Blues seem to have built some momentum again.

Conte’s work is far from done, though. He still has some big decisions to make that will impact Chelsea’s campaign. So as kick-off for 2016/17 fast approaches, we take a closer look.

Will Chelsea play with two strikers?

From the moment Conte was confirmed as Blues boss, it’s been expected that Diego Costa would be playing with a strike partner this season. The idea has been influenced by Conte using two strikers wherever he has coached.

Indeed, Conte’s so-called fascination has become ours. The topic of two front men has dominated conversations in the media and among supporters.

So what will it be? Right now, we’re not sure, as Conte is keeping us guessing. He started pre-season with Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a makeshift striker alongside Costa, but now with his squad back together after Euro 2016, Conte’s changed things up.

Against Werder Bremen—the game that ended Chelsea’s pre-season with a 4-2 victory—Costa played his usual role as the lone front man. It worked well, too, with the Spain international scoring his first goal under Conte. It was also the Blues’ highest-scoring performance of the summer.

When Costa was replaced by Michy Batshuayi in that game, the young Belgian also looked strong by himself. Had it not been for some poor finishing in front of goal from the 22-year-old attacker, the scoreline would have been much more convincing.

The important thing for Conte here is that he has options. He can choose Costa by himself or partner him with Batshuayi. Until Chelsea sign another out-and-out striker, though, we may see just one man up top.

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It isn’t just Conte who has been …

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