Our Chelsea fans here in the Transfer Tavern are hoping their team can put in a strong second half of the season, with fans desperate for some silverware.

Chelsea currently sit in third place in the Premier League, four points ahead of Liverpool and Blues boss Antonio Conte will be hoping to use the momentum of his side’s recent run to push on through the congested Christmas fixture list.

A lot of the Stamford Bridge team are in desperate need of a rest due to a lot of injuries in recent months and Conte is dealing with a bare minimum squad, especially after a disappointing summer transfer window which failed to bring very much reinforcement.

Indeed, Conte would surely be hoping to give rest to key players ahead of what is always an important time of year, and as the competition for the top four heats up – with the usual top six teams and surprise package Burnley in the mix – any advantage in terms of a fresh squad will want to be taken.

With that in mind, our landlord takes a look at two players Conte needs to drop…

N’Golo Kante

Conte should be looking to rest midfielder enforcer Kante, to avoid a repeat of what happened at the start of the season, when a host of injuries to his men in the centre of the park left the Chelsea boss with the bare minimum to chose from.

Chelsea hit a little rocky patch while the Frenchman was out of action and if they are to challenge a little more in the league and ensure a top-four finish, a fit Kante is essential to Conte’s plans.

Bringing in a fringe player or giving a youngster a chance could open up a new avenue of choice for Conte further down the line.

Alvaro Morata

Although the Spaniard has been largely rested for the past couple of matches, it clearly showed with his cameo appearance against Southampton that he’s going to need more time to get back to the Morata of a few weeks ago, despite his late winning goal against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup.

Conte has struggled to rest his lone striker due to a lack of trust and quality in his second choice striker Michy Batshuayi, sometimes opting to play Hazard in a false nine formation instead.

If Chelsea wants to win trophies this season, a striker is essential in the upcoming January window, but for now, they have to take advantage and rotate the squad to keep it as fresh as they possibly can.

Michy Batshuayi should be keen to do a job here to keep him from potentially being shipped out in the window.