Nathan Ake could replace John Terry for Chelsea's Premier League clash with Leicester
Terry was unsuccessful in an appeal over his dismissal against Peterborough and his place on the substitutes' bench could go to Ake, who was recently recalled from Bournemouth
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Nathan Ake could replace the suspended John Terry for Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Leicester on Saturday.
Terry was unsuccessful in an appeal over his dismissal against Peterborough and his place on the substitutes' bench could go to Ake, who was recently recalled from Bournemouth.
Chelsea head into their game against Leicester looking to return to form after their 13-match winning run was brought to an end by London rivals Tottenham last week.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game at the King Power Stadium, Conte spoke at length of Ake’s Chelsea return and his place within the team.
“I’m very pleased for him to stay with us,” the Italian said. “In this one-year-and-a-half he has improved a lot. This shows that it’s important for a young player born in the Academy to go and play on loan, and then, when they are ready, come back and play with us.
“Ake is a really good example. He is a good player, very young but with a good personality. He can play as a central defender, in the middle or on the left, he could play as a wing-back. It’s important now to work with us.
“He’s trained with us only a few days. It’s important for him to have a bit of time to go into our idea of football and adapt, and then be under consideration."
Looking back at Ake’s past week with the club and his potential role in more detail, the Italian said: “In these days I tried him as a central defender.
“It’s important for me to have a bit of time with him to know him better, and to try to find out the best position for him. He can play in different roles and it’s very important for us he is able to do that.
“This makes me more calm in the January market. The first impressions are a lot of positives. He has good personality and he’s mature. It’s not a gift for him. I don’t like to give gifts. Somebody must deserve to come back.”
Conte made nine changes for the FA Cup win over Peterborough and is likely to revert to his first-choice line up, fitness depending.
Provisional squad: Courtois, Begovic, Ivanovic, Alonso, Fabregas, Zouma, Kante, Hazard, Loftus-Cheek, Moses, Pedro, Costa, Matic, Willian, Batshuayi, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Luiz, Eduardo, Aina, Ake.
Additional reporting by PA.
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