Rio Ferdinand has given some insight into the training sessions conducted by Antonio Conte at Chelsea.

The Manchester United great has been told by people associated with the Premier League leaders that repetitive training under the Italian is seen as 'mundane', but that does not mean the playing group dislikes it.

"The key to sticking with 3-4-3 will be repetition, repetition, repetition," he wrote for the Sunday Times.

"Chelsea play it so well because Antonio Conte lives and breathes repetition of phases of play, of game management, of team shape.

"From people at Chelsea I know his sessions are mundane.

"Players think initially: 'What's this?' They want to enjoy training yet he has them playing against shadows, practising their positions depending where the ball is.

"You stop and freeze and he breaks down the game for you.

"These are 30-40 minute sessions that could be boring, but when the players see it working, and the pictures he has painted in training appear in games, they believe."