Speaking to the media after the game on Saturday (h/t Metro), Carney Chukwuemeka revealed the things manager Graham Potter said to him before his Chelsea debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Chukwuemeka, who was signed from Aston Villa in the summer for £20m, hadn’t made any appearance before Saturday. He was on the bench for a few games but never came on. He did so against Wolves for the final few minutes, replacing Conor Gallagher with the Blues running out as 3-0 winners.
The 18-year-old was one of the few youngsters signed in the summer to enhance the competition in the youth team and also allow these players to challenge for a spot in the first team.
When asked about how he felt to make his Chelsea debut and what the manager said, here’s what Chukwuemeka said (h/t Metro):
“I thank God, all my team-mates, my family and the Gaffer for trusting me. Hopefully it’s the first of many. The Chelsea fans have been really supporting me since I joined the club and the reception from them today definitely gave me a boost.
Before coming on he [Potter] told me to express myself, to play how I have been in training and to play with a smile on myself. I think I did that so it was good.”
The Austrian-born England U20 international chiefly plays as an attacking midfielder but is perfectly capable of operating as an eight in central midfield. He was with Aston Villa for the past three years, playing for the youth sides, but made quite a few appearances off the bench in the Premier League last season.
On the other hand, Potter was praised for the correct usage of his squad to manage a demanding schedule of games. He made seven changes to the line-up against Wolves compared to the side that started against AC Milan three days ago.
With games thick and fast until the start of the World Cup break, squad rotation and using as many resources as possible has to be the order of the day for the manager.
What it will in turn do is offer potential opportunities for the likes of Chukwuemeka to get some game time in the senior team and show what he is all about.
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