Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says Kurt Zouma is improving day-by-day but will need to adapt to the new defensive system before he returns to the first team.
Zouma has been building up match fitness with four appearances for the Blues’ Under-23s as he recovers from a long-term knee injury.
He has been playing in a back three, mimicking the set-up which has seen the first team keep a clean sheet in six consecutive matches, and Conte said this was the next phase of the Frenchman’s development.
The Chelsea head coach said: “He’s working with great continuity, he’s playing with the youth team, and this is very important.
“Now it’s of fundamental importance to find a good form, to go into the idea of our football and then to come back and to have the possibility to play with the first team.
“I’m pleased because I am seeing, day by day, great improvement for Kurt.”
This post was last modified on 25/11/2016