---
title: "Zouma talks pre-season, injury recovery and 3-4-3"
canonical: "https://readchelsea.com/2016/11/08/zouma-talks-pre-season-injury-recovery-3-4-3/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Oliver Birch"
section: "Chelsea News"
published: "2016-11-08T15:00:19Z"
modified: "2016-11-08T15:00:19Z"
---

# Zouma talks pre-season, injury recovery and 3-4-3

Kurt Zouma is set to continue his recovery from a knee injury on Tuesday evening as [Chelsea’s Under 23’s take on Oxford United’s](https://readchelsea.com/2016/11/08/chelsea-u23-checkatrade-trophy-preview-vs-oxford-united/) senior side in the Checkatrade Trophy.

The young Blues cannot make it through to the next stage of the competition, but Zouma is making progress with his recovery, after picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury against [Manchester United](https://readmanutd.com/) last season.

The Frenchman landed awkwardly during the tie in February, but has featured for the U23’s in their last two fixtures for 45 minutes and an hour respectively, after being out of action for nine months.

And the 22-year-old told [Chelsea’s official website](https://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2016/11/checkatrade-trophy-preview--oxford.html) that playing with the development side has helped him with his recovery.

![Nathan Stirk/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/619570096.jpg)

> I have been going step by step with my rehabilitation and the games were a good test for me and my knee. It’s been a long time out, the longest injury of my career, but it’s behind me now and it’s time to look forward.
>
> Injuries are a part of football and I’ve been lucky to have very good doctors and physios around me, plus my family behind me the whole time so it wasn’t too difficult.

Zouma travelled to Austria with the first team during pre-season, and the defender revealed it was a good experience to get to know Antonio Conte and stay involved with the first team.

> It was nice for me, to train with the players a couple of times and do some physical work with my teammates.

![Rachel Murray/Getty Images Entertainment](https://cdn.readeverything.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/584458056.jpg)

> I stayed close to the team and it was important for me at that time with the new manager coming in. We can see the qualities he has as a manger and the work he is doing at the moment. We are doing very well so we are lucky to have him.

Conte has turned Chelsea’s season around since changing the formation to 3-4-3, and the Blues now sit in second place in the league following five consecutive league victories.

Chelsea looked set for another turbulent season following back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal respectively, however the change in formation has seen the Blues score 16 goals and concede none in the last five league wins.

And Zouma believes his experience of playing three at the back with the development side will help him fit into the system with the first team.

> It’s been nice to be with the boys on a game day, travelling with them and trying to give out some good advice to them.

![Nathan Stirk/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/619569412.jpg)

> We’ve played with three at the back in the last two games as well, which has been good for me to understand and learn the position a bit better.
>
> I’ve not played in that system much in my career but this is what the first team are using at the moment so it was good for me to experience it.