There has been a suggestion that one previously outcasted and under-fire Chelsea player is "going to get a chance now" for manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea vs Burnley preview
The west Londoners head into this clash with Burnley at Turf Moor in very mixed form. Chelsea had to wait from late August till Monday this week to score a Premier League goal, a barren run which finally ended with a 2-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. Goals from Armando Broja and a first ever for January signing Mykhalo Mudryk gave Chelsea supporters something to smile about, with the hope being Pochettino's side can now kick on from that result and potentially challenge for Europe this season.
The Blues have won just two league matches so far, coming against newly-promoted Luton Town and their aforementioned cross-town rivals. Chelsea succumbed to defeat at the hands of West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, while also dropping points at home to Liverpool and away to Bournemouth. Vincent Kompany's Burnley, by contrast, have won just once thus far with only Sheffield United conceding more goals than last season's Championship winners.
The Clarets could be in big trouble going by the early signs, and this encounter may well be a prime opportunity for Pochettino to go into the international break on a high.
Marc Cucurella transfer news
Injuries to both Ben Chilwell and Reece James, as well as a ban for Malo Gusto means Chelsea are very short of full-back options for the trip to Lancashire. Chilwell's absence could be a lengthy one, giving Pochettino just Ian Maatsen and Marc Cucurella to work with in the left-back position. The latter man has come under-fire for some of his Chelsea performances, with Frank Lebeouf claiming Cucurella "doesn't belong at this level". Lebeouf said to ESPN (via The Mail):
"Hopefully Reece James and Ben Chilwell will go back into fitness as soon as possible because we need them.
We don't want to see Cucurella anymore. With all due respect to a man that I don't know, the player is not good enough for Chelsea. It's as simple as that. It's crazy that they signed him for £60m or £70m, but we can see that he doesn't belong to this level."
Passing
Concentration
Ball retention
Tackling
(via WhoScored)
The previously-outcasted ace was reintroduced under Pochettino recently, as a result of their current left-back crisis, with the Spaniard starting his first league game of the season away to Fulham. Journalist Paul Brown, speaking to GiveMeSport, says Cucurella is "going to get a chance now" and must seize the opportunity.
“They may have to rotate in that area or try a few things to find the best option until Chilwell and Reece James return. So, I do think he's going to get a chance now. He must grab it with both hands. He did come close to a move, and it was clear that the club were willing to sell him. I don't think anyone in that situation would like it too much. It's not nice to know that your club is listening to offers for you. But I think he’ll get a chance now, and I think he’ll want to prove that he's still got a future at Chelsea.”
It will be interesting to see if the former Brighton full-back can prove his worth.
