Eden Hazard set to make first start of the season as Chelsea boss Antonio Conte shuffles his pack for Carabao Cup
Hazard is yet to start a game so far this season as he completes his recovery from an ankle injury sustained playing for Belgium in June but will face Nottingham Forest on Wednesday
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Your support makes all the difference.Antonio Conte is ready to welcome Eden Hazard back into his Chelsea team for tomorrow’s Carabao Cup third round game against Nottingham Forest, along with youngsters Kenedy and Charly Musonda.
Hazard is yet to start a game so far this season as he completes his recovery from an ankle injury sustained playing for Belgium in June. Since coming back he has played twice for his country and then made three second-half substitute appearances this month, against Leicester City, FK Qarabag and Arsenal.
Conte feels that his star man is ready again for the challenge of first-team football and is excited to have him back in his team. “I think for Eden now is the right moment to start the game, and to try and play the whole game,” Conte said at his Cobham press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “I hope to be with him at the final step with the injury. I think we managed very well his situation.”
Chelsea have been cautious with Hazard but Conte said was for the best given the manager’s own experience with injuries. “In my career, I was injured a lot of times,” Conte said. “Also I have a bit of experience about this situation. With him, we're managing the situation very well. Now he's ready to start the game.”
There will also be opportunities for young players Charly Musonda and Kenedy, the Brazilian winger set to be given his first chance since he was sent home in disgrace from Chelsea’s summer tour of China following racist posts on Instagram. He made three appearances last season but Conte said he had a fresh start this season.
“I think he knows very well what happened in China,” Conte said this afternoon. “For sure, he made a mistake. But I think that everyone in their life can make a mistake. Now he's focused, he's working very well, he understood his mistake. Now he's ready. He's ready to play and to show he deserves a space for the future.”
Belgian winger Charly Musonda will also be involved, after coming on in the Community Shield and against Burnley.
“You can see very clearly his talent,” he said. “Now it's important he's working very well, trying to adapt himself to this league because this league is not simple. It's a physical league. He's a bit thin, but he's working a lot to improve his strength and to be prepared to make a big impact in this league. I trust Charly, but for sure it is also important he gives a good answer when the chance to play arrives.”
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