Chelsea and Conte get an injury blessing in disguise
John Terry’s injury is a huge break for Chelsea boss Antonio Conte
Usually, when a starting centre back goes down with a minor injury, it’s cause for concern at a club like Chelsea. Ironically for the Blues, John Terry’s injury will actually serve as a blessing in disguise for manager Antonio Conte.
The reality of the situation at Stamford Bridge is that David Luiz was going to be inserted into the starting XI sooner rather than later. That was going to force Conte to drop one of his current starters. Either John Terry or Gary Cahill was headed to the bench.
Terry was likely going to be the loser of that battle. Sure, it’s possible that Conte would have opted for his experience over Cahill’s athleticism, but I think that’s unlikely. Barring a surprising change in formation, Conte was going to allow Luiz to take Terry’s place.
That decision wouldn’t have gone over smoothly in the Chelsea dressing room. Most of the club’s players would have understood that Luiz is simply a better player right now, but Terry doesn’t have a habit of going off quietly into the night. He still staunchly believes he’s one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
Now, his minor ligament injury will allow Conte the chance to make the switch entirely absent of any controversy. Terry is only expected to miss ten days, but that should be enough to give Luiz two starts to prove himself. If he puts in two solid performances, Terry won’t have the ability to protest being dropped.
The key, of course, is for Luiz to put in two solid shifts in Terry’s absence. If he fails to play well, the entire situation could backfire on Conte. Terry could then return to fitness armed with every argument possible to regain his starting position.
Look for Luiz to take advantage of the opportunity and solve a big problem for his new manager. The Brazilian should take full advantage of Terry’s injury to oust him from the Chelsea starting XI.
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