Conte hints at who new boy Barkley could replace in Chelsea side

Antonio Conte hopes to help Ross Barkley claim a place in England’s World Cup squad and has two positions in mind for him.

Barkley joined Chelsea for a cut-price £15million on Friday as his contract at Goodison Park was due to expire in the summer.

The 24-year-old has not played a game since May, due to a serious hamstring injury which required surgery, and while Conte is unsure when the player will return he hopes that the midfielder can still make Gareth Southgate’s squad for Russia.

“We have five months to show he deserves a call with the national team for the World Cup,” Conte said.

“I hope (he gets one), because it means he will do very well with us.”

 

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Barkley trained at Chelsea’s Cobham base over the weekend and is due to meet with Conte for the first time on Monday.

The Blues boss, however, is reluctant to put a timescale on when Barkley will be available before first assessing him.

“It’s important for me to see him, to understand his physical condition,” Conte added.

“My hope is to have this player (available) very quickly.”

Conte also spoke of Barkley’s versatility, but insisted it was important the player understands his role tactically before he is selected in Chelsea’s first team.

“He can play in midfield, if we play with three midfielders, or number 10 if we play 3-4-3,” Conte added.

“Before playing we must be sure that he is into our idea of football. Otherwise it’s a problem for him and it’s a problem for the rest of the team.”

Those observations would lean towards Barkley potentially replacing Tiemoue Bakayoko in a three-man midfield, while there has been further speculation over Eden Hazard’s future on Monday – which could mean that Barkley has been signed as the Belgian’s long-term successor in the number 10 role.