Antonio Conte has not been playing 'his own way' at Chelsea, insists Ruud Gullit

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Sam Long23 September 2016

Antonio Conte is still searching for a system he can rely on at Chelsea, according to former Blues manager Ruud Gullit.

The Italian coach took charge at Stamford Bridge in the summer and has made a promising start to his Premier League career.

Conte's side were unbeaten in their opening four league games but came unstuck against Liverpool last weekend and face another stern test when they travel to Arsenal tomorrow evening.

The 47-year-old has experimented with several formations during the early stages of the season and Gullit is adamant the current Chelsea boss is yet to discover a formula he is willing to stick with for the entire campaign.

"Up until now I think he has been playing the 'Chelsea way', rather than his own, since taking charge over the summer," he told the BBC.

"For me, Conte is still searching for a system he can rely on - what he sees as his ideal way of playing in the Premier League, and the best team he can pick to execute it.

"He will need time to find out what he wants to do, and also whether it works."

A key selection dilemma facing Conte ahead of his side's trip to the Emirates Stadium regards Cesc Fabregas.

The Spaniard is yet to start a top-flight game for Chelsea this season, with Conte preferring to call upon the defensively minded N'Golo Kante thus far.

But Fabregas pressed his claims for a starting berth against his former club with two goals in midweek and Gullit believes Conte's team selection this weekend will tell us a great deal about Fabregas' long-term future.

"Whether he is picked or not will tell us more about how big a part he plays in Conte's plans.

"Fabregas is very creative of course, but he is not known for chasing back or tackling, which might be why he has spent most of this season on the bench.

"But, with Kante in the team, Chelsea have a player who does that side of the game really well, so I can understand why many Chelsea fans want to see Fabregas start against the Gunners and increase their attacking threat," Gullit added.

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