Chelsea fullback Chilwell on squad competition: Every game no-one knows who'll start

Football
16 Mar 2021 • 10:53 PM MYT
Tribal Football
Tribal Football

Tribal Football covers news from the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A

Chelsea fullback Ben Chilwell insists he's happy to fight for a starting place.

Chilwell, who helped keep a clean sheet at Leeds on Saturday has been personally affected by the stiff competition for a starting shirt, with Marcos Alonso's increased involvement meaning reduced minutes on the pitch for the England left-back.

"The manager has come in and every weekend going into the game no one knows who is going to be starting and in what position, and that is a positive thing because we have a massive squad of very talented players who are all fighting for 11 spots," he told the club's website.

"That just brings the best out in all of us because in training everyone is fighting for one of those starting shirts. That is why coming into the weekend we are sharp and defensively we are doing well, and that is why we are unbeaten.

"We have been training hard. Tactically the manager is spot on. Defensively we do look solid and I can't put my finger on what it is apart from we are training hard and everyone is fighting for 11 spots and everyone is getting a game. It is important that we are getting clean sheets but on the flip side we want to be scoring more goals and winning more games."

Chelsea host Atletico Madrid for the second-leg of their Champions League round 16 tie on Wednesday night defending a 1-0 aggregate lead.

Chilwell added: "One-nil away was a good result but we are only halfway done and if we can get that win then that will be massive for that final push going into the last stretch of the season."