EPL 2016/17: John Terry fit to face Hull City
After a torrid two weeks for Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, there is finally some news which comes as a blessing for the Italian. Skipper John Terry is fit to face Hull City in Chelsea’s Premier League encounter against the Tigers at the KC Stadium on Saturday.
Terry joined the first team in training the last few days and completed the sessions without any problems.
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The former England captain was sorely missed when he was out injured, as Chelsea conceded goals and slumped to defeats versus Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal, conceding 5 league goals in the process.
Chelsea are desperately crying out for some much-needed leadership at the back, with the majority of goals given away stemming from a lack of organisation and discipline from the back line.
The defensive pairing of Brazilian center back David Luiz and Englishman Gary Cahill looked shaky in the games against Liverpool, Leicester, and Arsenal, and Antonio Conte does not think he can depend on the duo as a partnership in the long run.
Good record with Terry in the side
Terry last appeared in a Chelsea shirt on September 11, in the Blues’ 2-2 draw against Swansea, where he injured his ankle in the dying seconds of the game.
Chelsea have not lost a game when their captain has played this season, winning 3 games and drawing 1. Conte will be hoping that the return of his captain will directly translate to a return to winning ways for his side.
Word has it that Conte is going to switch formations and play 3 defenders in a 3-4-3/3-5-2 formation, which brought him much success both with Serie A side Juventus and the Italian national squad.
The return of Terry provides further options for the Italian coach to implement this new formation and he could use John Terry, David Luiz, and Gary Cahill as a defensive trio.
Another option would be to shift the much maligned Branislav Ivanovic inside and use him as a central defender, with Gary Cahill dropping to the bench in the process. Either way, John Terry looks certain to start at the KC stadium.
The trip to the KC stadium, however, could not have come at a better time for the London club, with Hull City missing key players Ahmed El Mohamady and Jake Livermore following their red cards in the previous games.
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