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Chelsea stars not guaranteed Premier League winners' medals even though Oscar and Branislav Ivanovic are

Only players who appear in more than five fixtures are guaranteed a medal, meaning Asmir Begovic, Nathan Ake, Ola Aina and Dominic Solanke could all miss out

Thursday 11 May 2017 16:13 BST

Conte will have to decide who he wants to award a medal to (Getty)

Asmir Begovic and Nathan Ake could both set to miss out on winners’ medals if Chelsea clinch the title – although Oscar and Branislav Ivanovic will collect theirs despite having left the club.

Chelsea will almost certainly pip London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the title and can wrap things up if they beat West Brom at the Hawthorns on Friday night.

The Premier League will provide Chelsea with 40 winners’ medals to share out among the players and staff should they win, but league rules dictate that players are only guaranteed a medal if they play a minimum of five matches.

Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

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1/9Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

IN: James Rodriguez

With Oscar departing for China, James Rodriguez could be the perfect long-term replacement for the Brazilian. Rodriguez hasn’t had much game time this season and might be looking for a move away from the Bernabeu. It looks like Chelsea will tussle with the likes of Manchester United to secure his signature.

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Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

IN: Ricardo Rodriguez

The 24-year-old Swiss international could be the perfect fit in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 formation. The Wolfsburg player is a massive threat from dead ball situations and loves to attack. Recent reports are suggesting that the Blues have beaten Arsenal to secure his services.

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Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

IN: Arturo Vidal

Conte is reportedly looking to bring his former employee to Stamford Bridge in a deal that could be worth up to £38 million. Bayern’s box-to-box midfielder played under the Italian tactician at Juventus where they reached the Champions League final, losing 3-1 to Barcelona.

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Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

IN: Federico Bernardeschi

Fiorentina winger Bernardeschi has been on sparkling form for the Viola this campaign. Conte took him to the Euros in the summer and he could provide solid competition for Victor Moses for the right-wing starting berth.

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Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

IN: Tiemoue Bakayoko

Monaco have been free-scoring this season but their whole team deserves credit. Bakayoko has been a mainstay in the defensive-midfield position, and his combative style has drawn comparisons to N’Golo Kante. Chelsea would have to dig deep to make this deal materialise, though.

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Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

IN: Franck Kessie

The 19-year-old has been the breakthrough star in Serie A this season. In an Atalanta side that has performed above expectations this campaign, Kessie has played an integral role. A lot of Europe’s elite are in pursuit of the Ivorian.

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Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

IN: Faouzi Ghoulam

After bringing Marcos Alonso in from Fiorentina last summer summer, Conte may want to provide some competition for the Spaniard and Ghoulam may well be the answer.

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Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

OUT: Michy Batshuayi

With Diego Costa performing so well, it is hard to see where the young Belgian fits in to Conte’s setup. French side Lille were left rebuffed after they reportedly lodged a loan bid which was rejected by the Blues, but it remains to be seen whether they will keep him at Stamford Bridge.

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Chelsea potential summer 2017 transfers

OUT: Branislav Ivanovic

After starting the first six games of the season, the Serbian defender has struggled to fight his way back into the Chelsea team. After a change of formation from Conte, it seems as though he might not suit the Italian’s style. Reports have also proposed that Barcelona may be in line for a shock swoop.

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Begovic played in 17 league matches last season but has started just once this year, while Ake has only started one match since Antonio Conte brought his successful loan spell at Bournemouth to a premature end.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has made five appearances off the bench and so will be assured of a medal, but youngsters Ola Aina, Dominic Solanke, Kenedy and Charly Musonda are all at risk of missing out.

Loftus-Cheek stands to win a Premier League medal (Getty)

However, players who left the club in the January transfer window will be eligible to receive their prize. Oscar made 9 appearances before departing for Chinese Super League team Shanghai SIPG, and Ivanović appeared 13 times prior to his transfer to Zenit Saint Petersburg.

There is still some hope for the players who stand to miss out on a medal, however. Chelsea get to choose how their 40 medals are allocated, meaning Conte can still decide to reward his fringe players if he sees fit.

Ivanovic and Oscar will be honoured despite leaving the club (Getty)

Clubs only receive more than the limit of 40 medals if more than 39 players make an appearance during the season.

With three games of the current season remaining, Conte has used 23 different players.

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