Antonio Conte has provided an update on when Kurt Zouma will return to the Chelsea first-team, report the Express.
Zouma has been out injured since February after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament. The Express quote Conte in revealing that he will not rush the Frenchman back into the side: “It’s normal that, when you arrive after a bad injury, you need a bit of time to recover the best form. For this reason, we prefer Kurt in this period to play the games with the U23s.”
After joining from Saint-Etienne in January 2014, Zouma emerged as one of the most promising young centre-backs on the planet. He forced his way into Jose Mourinho’s thinking and nailed down a starting spot.
The injury was a massive blow for Chelsea and, of course, for himself on a personal level. It’s great to hear that he isn’t far away from a return to the first-team squad. Conte has vastly improved our defence and it’s exciting to think what he could do with Zouma.
A switch to a 3-4-3 system has also increased his chances of finding game-time when he returns, as there’s now an extra centre-back spot up for grabs. We imagine that he will become a favourite of Conte, who seems to be the right man to harness his potential.
