CONTE’S ROCKING BLUES ALL HAVE ROLE

ANTONIO CONTE insists his regular picks will not take their Chelsea places for granted.

The Blues boss’s first-choice team has become clear during their brilliant run of 10 Premier League wins in a row.

And Conte has only made five changes to his team during their sequence of success.

One of the features of titlewinning sides down the years is that their best line up rolls off the tongue like Conte’s preferred XI does right now. But the Italian insists all his players have a role.

He said: “I don’t think this is a sign of complacency. In our 10 league games, for example, Cesc Fabregas (left) started twice in the starting XI and played very well.

“We continued to win, too. Willian played for Eden Hazard in the last game and we continued to win. It’s important to involve all the players.

“Also when the players came to the bench, it’s important to be there in the right spirit. I’ve had my players with fantastic commitment when I’ve asked them to come in.”

Conte may make at least one more change for the trip to Crystal Palace with Eden Hazard back after missing Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Sunderland with a knee injury.

That victory took Chelsea six points clear and Conte said: “This is a great surprise because, when you arrive after 10th place last season and change manager, and try to bring new ideas and a new method, a new model of football, it’s not easy. In our path, there was a difficult moment when we conceded two defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal. Then we started to work and find the right way for us.”

Another victory will equal Chelsea’s record of 11 successive league wins set in 2009.

Conte (right) said: “The position is more difficult for us than our opponents. They haven’t got anything to lose when they’re playing against us.”