Chelsea have excelled under the guidance of Antonio Conte this season but the Blues fans in the bar have expressed their concern at the continued overlooking of young players.
The West London giants boast an abundance of young talent within their squad and their approach to young players has widely been criticised in recent years, with a wealth of them spending time out on loan and failing to earn opportunities in the first-team.
Our landlord believes Conte is the man to improve upon this aspect of the club though and feels that their clash with Watford is the ideal opportunity to push two young players into the starting line-up, giving them a chance to shine.
Chelsea’s campaign is set to end in glory but the Blues cannot afford to rest on their laurels due to the upcoming FA Cup final with Arsenal, which means squad rotation can allow key players to earn a rest – and these two players are capable additions to the line-up.
Nathan Ake
The 22-year-old Dutch defender excelled on-loan at Bournemouth in the first-half of the season and was recalled by Antonio Conte in January. Since then, Nathan Ake’s opportunities have been severely limited and he’s only played eight minutes of Premier League football for Conte’s side.
That substitute appearance came in the 3-0 victory over Everton at the end of April but Chelsea should hand him a start against Watford, as Ake is more than capable of excelling and the experience of first-team football will aid his development.
Ake showed during his time at Bournemouth that he’s more than capable of holding his own against Premier League strikers, which has shown how useful he will be for Conte’s side moving forward.
Michy Batshuayi
Arriving from Marseille last summer, Michy Batshuayi has failed to earn regular first-team appearances for Chelsea this season and his future at the club has been called into question. However, Chelsea shouldn’t give up on him yet.
Settling into the Premier League is not an easy task and Chelsea would live to regret their decision to allow Batshuayi to leave as he’s an exceptional player. Giving him an opportunity against Watford would show the youngster the club still support him, which would give the 23-year-old a big boost heading into next season.
If they do want to sell, then Batshuayi could raise interest in his services with a solid performance.
