22 September,2016 08:30 AM IST | | PA Sport
Despite Fabregas' crucial extra-time brace in Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Leicester, manager Antonio says midfielder's place in the team is not guaranteed as reputation counts for nothing to him
Antonio Conte
London: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte praised two-goal Cesc Fabregas but insisted reputations mean nothing after their comeback victory at Leicester.
The Spain midfielder scored twice in extra time to cap the visitors' recovery in the EFL Cup third round as they won 4-2, having fallen 2-0 down inside 35 minutes.
Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta cancelled out Shinji Okazaki's brace in normal time before Leicester defender Marcin Wasilewski was sent off for a second booking in the 89th minute.
Fabregas is yet to start in the Premier League under Conte, with his only other start in the EFL Cup win over Bristol City last month, with Nemanja Matic, N'Golo Kante and Oscar preferred.
Cesc's gritty display
But a gritty display from the 29-year-old - ahead of Saturday's visit to former club Arsenal - impressed Conte, although he offered no assurances he would start at the Emirates Stadium.
Chelsea's midfielder Cesc Fabregas exults after scoring his team's fourth goal in extra-time during the English League Cup third round encounter against Leicester City at King Power Stadium in Leicester on Tuesday. Pic/AFP
He said: "I want to win and my choice is done to win. I don't care what their name is. For me it's important when I call someone to play and they show me my choice is not wrong.
"All the players in my squad are a possibility to play against Arsenal. There are three days before the game and they have the opportunity to convince me to put them in.
"I am pleased for Cesc because he played a good game, he showed me great commitment in the training sessions. I am satisfied when I see this behaviour.
Competition in the squad
This is the right way and I want my players to create good competition and, game by game, give me the opportunity to choose the best line-up."
Chelsea were poor defensively as both Cahill and David Luiz struggled, but the visitors deserved victory after Diego Costa was introduced as a second-half substitute.
The striker should have scored in normal time but curled wide and was involved in the build-up to Fabregas' first as well as being fouled by Wasilewski, who collected his second yellow.
Conte added: "This is a typical English game because after 30 minutes you are 2-0 down and then you have a good reaction to score four goals. If you ask me if I am happy for the two goals conceded, I am not happy, but I saw a good reaction from all of my players.
"This is very important because it showed the will to win and to go into the next round. It wasn't easy after 2-0 and after a defeat in the last game in the Premier League (2-1 to Liverpool)."
