Opinion: Chelsea could save a fortune if Enzo Maresca utilises £52m star instead of Julian Alvarez pursuit
Christopher Nkunku and his journey back to form at Chelsea has been nothing short of challenging. Despite finding the back of the net in a crucial win against Brighton, marking his first goal for the club since January, the road hasn’t been easy for the 26-year-old forward.
Enduring a series of injuries that kept him sidelined for a significant portion of the Premier League season, Nkunku’s hopes of a Euro 2024 call-up have been dashed by French coach Didier Deschamps. The knee injury that initially kept him out of action for 16 games was just the beginning of his struggles.
As he started to find his rhythm off the bench, a hamstring injury sidelined him for another nine matches, further disrupting his momentum. Despite his recent goal-scoring exploits, Nkunku’s limited playing time didn’t meet Deschamps’ criteria for selection.
Despite scoring recently, Deschamps noted that Nkunku’s been a bit light on game time. The French boss has a tough job picking players for the squad, and he opted for the ones who’ve been putting in the hours on the pitch. Here is what he had to say via Caught Offside:
“Of course he could’ve been called, but he had a complicated season,”
“He’s healed, that’s for sure, but he hasn’t yet started a match since his return from injury.”
It’s a bit of a knock for Nkunku, isn’t it? He has shown flashes of quality whenever he’s been on the pitch for Chelsea, but missing out on the Euros is a blow. However, he’s got grit, he has. He’ll bounce back, no doubt about it.
Nkunku’s exclusion reflects Deschamps’ dilemma of balancing form, fitness, and competition within a talented pool of attacking players. While Nkunku’s potential is evident, Deschamps ultimately opted for players with more consistent playing time and form.
It’s surely a setback for Nkunku, who has shown glimpses of his game. Now, it is all about finishing the club season on the best possible notes, getting in a good summer’s rest and getting into pre-season fully fit and fine.
He’ll need to keep grinding and showing what he’s made of next season. With a bit of luck and some solid performances, he’ll be back in the mix for the national team before you know it.
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