Chelsea Transfer News: Ben Dinnery told GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic may have trouble reintegrating into Graham Potter’s squad at Stamford Bridge following a two-month layoff. Since the beginning of January, the wide winger has been sidelined with a knee injury. He was unable to play for the Blues.
The good news for Chelsea is that Pulisic will be available for tonight’s Champions League second-leg match against Borussia Dortmund, as confirmed by Potter. The 24-year-old “has a question mark over his head,” according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, who previously told GIVEMESPORT that he had trouble getting consistent playing time with the Blues before his injury.
And Dinnery is having trouble seeing how the winger may return to the Chelsea starting lineup. But he has pointed to Hakim Ziyech as an example of a player who is gaining playing time while being linked to a transfer in the new year.
Chelsea Transfer News: What’s next for Christian Pulisic?
Dinnery told GIVEMESPORT: “Pulisic is maybe not quite as important in terms of his role and contributions to the team. He was one of those players touted for a potential move in January had it not been for this injury. Is he one of those players that is surplus to requirements? He certainly hasn’t spent as much time out as N’Golo Kante. Therefore, the expectation is that he should, in theory, be getting closer to that sharpness and fitness to put him into contention a little bit quicker. There are so many options in that Chelsea team. I’m struggling to see where he fits in with that. But then you could say the same about Hakim Ziyech. He was on the brink of that move to PSG. He still has been getting a little bit of game time.”
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While at Chelsea, Pulisic has only managed to make 16 appearances (27% of the Premier League’s total) and score with an assist once. With an average WhoScored rating of 6.31 for his performances in the Premier League this season, the 56-cap USA international is tied for the 27th-best player on the club. Thus suggesting that his time at Stamford Bridge may be coming to an end.
Even so, the £160,000-a-week player will be looking for a turnaround in fortunes in the remaining games of the current season. The Blues will try to clinch European participation for next season. The American star may be on the verge of a renaissance after being called back to the team for tonight’s massive match against Dortmund.
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