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Chelsea FC’s Predicted Starting Lineup 2016/2017

By Tyler Strauss

(Top L-R) Chelsea's Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, Chelsea's French defender Kurt Zouma, Chelsea's Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic, Chelsea's English defender John Terry and Chelsea's Brazilian-born Spanish striker Diego Costa (bottom L-R) Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Oscar, Chelsea's Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea's Ghanaian defender Baba Rahman, Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Ramires and Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Willian pose before a UEFA Chamions league group stage football match between Chelsea and Dynamo Kiev at Stamford Bridge stadium in west London on November 4, 2015. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)
(Top L-R) Chelsea's Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, Chelsea's French defender Kurt Zouma, Chelsea's Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic, Chelsea's English defender John Terry and Chelsea's Brazilian-born Spanish striker Diego Costa (bottom L-R) Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Oscar, Chelsea's Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea's Ghanaian defender Baba Rahman, Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Ramires and Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Willian pose before a UEFA Chamions league group stage football match between Chelsea and Dynamo Kiev at Stamford Bridge stadium in west London on November 4, 2015. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 05: John Mikel Obi of Chelsea reacts during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on March 5, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 05: John Mikel Obi of Chelsea reacts during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on March 5, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /

Chelsea will surely make changes to their squad this summer. Several of this season’s starters won’t start next season.

Chelsea are clearly entering a period of transition. This summer will be quite different from last for Chelsea. While last year the board failed to approve the necessary transfers to keep Chelsea on top, this summer they’ll have to rebuild.

This process will include selling players, incorporating both youth and loan players, and dipping into the transfer market. The task will largely fall on Chelsea’s new manager.

It seems as though the new man leading the Blues will be Antonio Conte, probably the worst kept secret in football at the moment. He’ll have to sort through all the players on the books at Stamford Bridge and see who fits his idea of what Chelsea should be both next season and in the future.

All of the dealings and transfers that are made will be based upon the system the Italian manager proposes to utilize in West London. I believe we will see Chelsea play a 3-5-2 with the ability to move to a 5-3-2. He may also employ a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. I think his preferred system will see Chelsea play with two strikers and wing backs.

When we take a look at the potential squad for next season, I will pick players that fit this mold of a 3-5-2, (5-3-2 in practice). This will allow us to get a better look at Chelsea’s newer structure and see who the Blues have that could already fit this role. It’ll also let us analyze who the former Juventus manager will target in the transfer market to fit these roles.

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