Cesc Fabregas will have to prove himself to new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte if he is to remain a regular in the first team.
Conte is planning on using a 4-4-2 formation in his first season at Stamford Bridge, and the Italian has reservations over whether Fabregas suits the system, according to The Times.
The Spanish midfielder thrived in his first season in London after then-manager Jose Mourinho signed him from Barcelona in 2013.
But Mourinho is also believed to have had concerns about relying on the 29-year-old to play in a midfield two, preferring to deploy him in the attacking position of a midfield three.
Conte, who has returned from taking the Italy national team to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, is said to be unsure about whether the demands of a midfield two could be met by Fabregas.
Not being content with a place on the substitutes' bench, Fabregas may look for a way out of Chelsea in search of regular first-team football before the transfer window closes on August 31.
He has made 66 appearances for Chelsea, winning the League Cup and Premier League in 2015.
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