John Terry is now set for a return in Chelsea’s FA Cup clash with Wolves, but the Blues legend has been warned that there is no guarantee of a Wembley farewell.
Blues legend John Terry is likely to feature in Chelsea’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Molineux, with fellow teammates David Luiz and Marcos Alonso now set to be rested on Saturday as Conte eyes to keep them fresh for the upcoming Premier League games.
The English defender earned his last Premier League start in September and also featured in the last round of the FA Cup against Brentford, and it seems now that the Blues legend will decide upon his future at Chelsea at the end of the season after an incredible 20-year spell at Stamford Bridge.
And now Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has warned the legendary England defender that there is no room for sentiment at the London club as the Italian aims to clinch the double in his debut season at Stamford Bridge.
Conte said: “John is working very well – I’m pleased with his work during the training sessions. He’s in good form.”
“This [Wolves game] could be a good solution for me to pick him and to start to play him. I’m pleased for his attitude, for his behaviour, for his work-rate. He’s showing me he is a great footballer but, above all, a great person. I’m pleased for this.”
“It’s very difficult to tell when a player is happy.”
“He doesn’t start, he’s not happy — not only John but Cesc Fabregas, Pedro… and I don’t want them to be happy [if they are not starting], because I want the player to put me under pressure.”
“The FA Cup is a great competition.”
“But it’s important to understand in a great team that the most important thing, the target, is to win, not to try to have 21 players happy and you don’t win anything. Because the owner doesn’t ask this — to make 21 players happy.”
Conte also warned his side that they should not be complacent as the Wolves will be a tough opponent after having knocked out Liverpool and Stoke City in the previous rounds of the FA Cup.
He added: “We are ready to fight.”
“We know it’ll be very tough in the league, in the FA Cup, to try to arrive at the end and to win.”
“We want to try to do this.”
