"?Chelsea full-back Branislav Ivanovic could see his place in the Blues' side come under threat sooner than expected, with reports that the Serbia international could be pushed out of the team by the late arrival of Marcos Alonso on the opposite flank.
The "?Telegraph report that Antonio Conte is getting ready to shift Cesar Azpilicueta into a more regular role on the right in order to accommodate Alonso on the left, leaving Ivanovic struggling for a role at Stamford Bridge.
Branislav Ivanovic faces fight for Chelsea future as Antonio Conte alters defensive plans https://t.co/8vAC2o862m pic.twitter.com/jHSpOshqhS
The arrival of David Luiz also makes it unlikely that Ivanovic will be called upon to do much work as a backup centre-back alongside Gary Cahill and John Terry, leaving his future at the club in serious doubt.
Having already entered the final year of his contract, there looks to be a good chance of Ivanovic leaving the Bridge for free in the summer - particularly with Andreas Christensen set to return from his two-year loan spell in the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the season.
'Everything at the moment is about confidence.' - Branislav Ivanovic https://t.co/kAVsVdMgCv pic.twitter.com/gL5oPS14LK
A number of key figures at the club are believed to be big fans of Christensen, with sizeable bids from Gladbach blankly turned down over the summer, and his return could drop 32-year-old Ivanovic another spot on the depth chart.
The emergence of England Under-20 international Ola Aina over the summer may serve to drive another nail into the coffin of Ivanovic's Blues career, the teenager impressing in the club's pre-season games and recently earning himself a new four-year deal.
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