At first glance, Antonio Conte appears to be absolutely bossing the Premier League.
Chelsea are ten points clear of Tottenham, and that position allowed him to put out a strong team to face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Monday.
A double genuinely looks as if it might be on the cards.
However, while it was expected that with no European football to worry about, Conte would select his strongest XI for the United game, it seems to have caused a rift in the camp.
The Sun claim that players like John Terry, Nathan Ake, Kurt Zouma, Nathan Chalobah, and Asmir Begovic, thought they would be given at least some minutes on the pitch, and were subsequently irritated at Conte prioritising his regular starters.
It must be particularly frustrating for Ake, who until January was having an impressive season on loan at Bournemouth. When he was recalled, it was with the expectancy that he would play, but he is yet to start a league game.
Terry must be conscious that he’s coming to the end of his time at Stamford Bridge and would like to make the most of it, though he’s also vying with Zouma for a spot in the defence.
As for Begovic, he asked to leave in January, but the club couldn’t find a suitable replacement. Chalobah has made a few short-lived appearances, yet it’s hard to envisage him being a regular in the first team for quite some time.
Conte will need to ensure players like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa don’t suffer from burnout come the end of the season. Realistically, though, they should have the title under their belts in no time at all.
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