Their promising start to the season has been forgotten about as one point from a possible nine, as well as the wretched displays against Liverpool and Arsenal in their last two games, has seen attention turn to a more long-term strategy at Stamford Bridge and regard this campaign as transitional.
In the meantime, Conte could really do with a win against Hull City at the KCOM Stadium tomorrow – but will have to do so without his captain John Terry, as the Times are today reporting that he has been ruled out once again through injury (this has since been confirmed by Conte himself).
Chelsea’s defence has been increasingly porous almost from the very second Terry hobbled off in the side’s 2-2 draw at Swansea earlier this month, not least because Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic have seemingly forgotten how to defend and David Luiz is a poor replacement.
Conte had hoped to have the 35-year-old back in the team for Saturday, so for him to have lost a late fitness battle will be a huge blow to the former Juventus manager, who is desperate for three points to take some of the pressure off him and his squad.
While Terry’s expected return might have prompted Conte to switch to three at the back and go with a central defence of the captain, Cahill and Luiz (with César Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso operating as wing-backs), the manager will probably now stick with the four-man defence that fared so horribly at the Emirates last weekend.
In better news, Terry has returned to training in the past few days, meaning he will almost certainly be available for the clash against Premier League champions Leicester City at Stamford Bridge after the international break, though how the squad’s morale will be when he returns is anyone’s guess.
The last time the two sides faced was a couple of seasons ago in a topsy-turvy encounter which Jose Mourinho’s Blues ultimately won 3-2 on their way to the 2014/15 league title.
Hazard and Costa had given Chelsea an early 2-0 lead before Hull’s Ahmed Elmohamady and Abel Hernandez registered to get the Tigers back level.
Mourinho then introduced Loic Remy from the bench and the Frenchman won it with a scrappy effort in the 77th minute.
Chelsea would go on to win the league while Hull were relegated.
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