‘Cesc Fabregas is important for us’: Chelsea reserve will see a growing role with injuries and Oscar departure

Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas gestures during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on December 3 3, 2016. Rui Vieira / AP

Crystal Palace may have been struggling to create clear-cut chances, but Chelsea still required greater control as they sought to protect their slender one-goal advantage when the two sides met in their Premier League game earlier this month.

When he glanced behind him at the visitors’ dugout at Selhurst Park, Antonio Conte saw the perfect man for the job.

On an individual level, Cesc Fabregas has had a frustrating season up to now. After being absent from only five Premier League fixtures in his first couple of campaigns at Stamford Bridge, the Spain international has had to content himself with just three starts in the top flight this time around.

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In his first few matches on English soil, Conte opted for a three-man midfield of N’Golo Kante, Oscar and Nemanja Matic. The Italian’s preference for energy, physicality and dynamism in the engine room was clear to see, and it was interesting to hear him hint that Fabregas’ lack of meaningful contribution in the defensive phase of play was a significant barrier to regular participation.

“I always thought this team needed to find a good balance when you have possession of the ball and when you have not,” Conte replied when asked about Oscar’s showings prior to September’s loss against Liverpool and why, by extension, Fabregas had found game time so hard to come by. “And last season Chelsea conceded 55 goals.”

The switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation in the second half of the 3-0 defeat by Arsenal 13 weeks ago – Chelsea’s backline, incidentally, has been breached on only two occasions in 1,040 minutes of Premier League action since then – did not bring about an upturn in fortunes for the former Barcelona man.

Matic and Kante’s partnership in the centre of the park has been key to the table-toppers’ 11-match winning run, with Fabregas only afforded an opportunity when the former picked up a calf injury at the beginning of this month.

Coming in from the cold and immediately performing is not always easy, particularly when the venue is the Etihad Stadium and the opponents are Manchester City.

Fabregas was terrific as Chelsea came from behind to record a 3-1 triumph against Pep Guardiola’s charges, however, providing a superb assist for Diego Costa’s equaliser and generally impressing with his measured passing.

He then dropped down to the bench for the clash with West Bromwich Albion the following week, before returning against Sunderland and scoring the winning goal with a cool finish.

N’Golo Kante’s one-match ban means Fabregas should also start Monday’s meeting with Bournemouth, when Chelsea will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points – at least until Manchester City lock horns with Hull City later in the day.

“Cesc Fabregas is important for us,” Conte said two weeks ago. “He played a key game versus Manchester City and in the last game [against West Brom] he came on and did very well.”

That was also the case in the 1-0 win at Palace last time out, when Fabregas entered the fray as a second-half substitute and once again demonstrated that he has plenty to offer this Chelsea team even if he does not begin every encounter in the starting XI.

The Spaniard has been linked with a move elsewhere in January, but Oscar’s seemingly imminent switch to Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG means he will stay put until the end of the campaign at the earliest. Until then, Fabregas has an essential role to play in Chelsea’s pursuit of the Premier League title.

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