Formation change, new position for Neto and Hato – Chelsea’s Cucurella injury solutions | OneFootball

Liam Rosenior is still experimenting with how he wants to set up his Chelsea team, and it’s been suggested he could try a back three again.

Chelsea are into the all important final third of the season, and Liam Rosenior is finally getting some training ground time. On the London is Blue podcast, they speculated about whether the coach could try some new things while Marc Cucurella is out.

“I wonder whether he brings in a third actual centre back, whether it’s Mamadou Sarr or Benoit Badiashile, players who feel comfortable in that role, and you put Hato out on the left to do his best wing back impression,” presenter Nick Verlaney asked.

“I think Pedro Neto becomes the obvious solution, he has the legs to do that, because it’s a really hard role.”

He also pointed out how Reece James and Malo Gusto could thrive pushed higher on the other side.

You can see their discussion in the clip embedded here:

Neto a natural fit for wing back role

Pedro Neto celebrates against Hull City. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

It’s a suggestion that makes a lot of sense, especially in certain games. Moving Hato further up would certainly reduce the pressure on him defensively, where we’ve seen him struggle a little. But given Hato also could be a little limited offensively, especially on the overlap, the Neto suggestion seems great.

He’s got all the tools to be a great left wing back, and we can imagine him playing a really effective 60 minutes there, while having the versatility to move into the front line if we switch to a back 4 later in a game.

In other news…

Chelsea have lost an academy talent to Tottenham, with another starlet choosing to move away from the Cobham academy.

Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here: