Conte’s new forward?

Antonio Conte stepped up his experiment of using Ruben Loftus-Cheek in a forward role in Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Bristol Rovers at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. Adam Bate was there to see it for Sky Sports and believes that the move shows some promise…

Summer signing Michy Batshuayi scored twice in his first Chelsea start, building on his impressive cameos in the Premier League against West Ham and Watford, but it was the identity of his strike partner against Bristol Rovers that will have had the crowd intrigued. Judging by the chants of Ruben that rang around the ground, they liked what they saw.

Loftus-Cheek was involved in Batshuayi’s opener, holding the ball up well with his back to goal before spreading the play wide for Nemanja Matic to cross. The youngster then showcased his strength and skill in order to roll his marker in the right channel soon after, promptly producing a simple square to pick up an assist for Batshuayi’s second.

Even before those decisive involvements he’d provided one of the moments of an entertaining game, gliding clear of experienced centre-back Peter Hartley before drilling a fierce low effort against the base of the left-hand post. While the 20-year-old was unable to cap his performance with a goal, it was nevertheless a triumph.

In truth, Loftus-Cheek has worked on his new role since early in pre-season and even scored while playing in an advanced position against Austrian side WAC RZ Pellets. “I like him a lot in the position of striker,” said Conte after that display. “In this system, with two midfielders, Ruben can …

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