Chelsea quartet of past, present and future in Nigeria’s World Cup squad
By George Perry
Four Chelsea players – one legend, one current player and two loanees – are in Nigeria’s provisional squad for the 2018 World Cup. Mikel John Obi, Victor Moses and Ola Aina will all have leading roles for the Super Eagles in Russia.
Chelsea’s representation on Nigeria’s World Cup squad covers a broad swath of the club’s recent history. Mikel John Obi will extend his 13-year run in the side, and will be the Super Eagles’ captain for the competition. Victor Moses and Ola Aina will likely be regulars in Gernot Rohr’s starting XI. And Kenneth Omeruo hopes to remind Chelsea and the rest of the footballing world of how highly he was rated in earlier international competitions.
The Super Eagles will shift Moses back to his usual place on the right wing. Moses has been more comfortable and effective in his original, “natural” position this season than in his newfound role as wing-back. His performances this season have contributed to transfer talk in both directions: Chelsea’s need to buy a new right wing-back, and the possibility of selling Moses.
A strong World Cup on the wing could make the case for Chelsea to use Moses as a right winger next season. He could provide depth to Willian, but that could leave him in a battle with Ross Barkley and even Mason Mount as the attacking player on the right side. Moses is a more powerful dribbler than Willian, but lack’s the Brazilian’s speed, guile and long-range shooting. He is more experienced and more physical than Mount, but is not as technically gifted, particularly in his passing. Moses needs the World Cup to prove himself to Chelsea or any interested suitor.
Ola Aina will be playing for a Premier League future, possibily with Chelsea. Aina is among the top loanees in terms of playing time this season, with just over 4,000 minutes with Hull City. He played 25 games as right-back and 12 as left-back, two positions where Chelsea have sufficient depth.
Aina could challenge Moses or Davide Zappacosta as right wing-back or as depth for Cesar Azpilicueta as right-back. However, he will more likely spend next season on loan somewhere else in the Premier League. His performance in Russia can help entice a loan to a team who will welcome him with a regular place in the starting XI.
Kenneth Omeruo will be as much an enigma for the Super Eagles as he is for Chelsea. The Blues signed him from Standard Liege’s academy in 2012. Since then he has been on loan to ADO den Haag, Middlesbrough, Alanyaspor and Kasimpasa. Over the course of those loans he went from being one of Nigeria’s top prospects in the African Confederation of Nations tournament and the 2014 World Cup, to not being selected for the 2016 Olympic team.
His star has similarly dimmed at Chelsea. He is rarely mentioned in any conversations about the loan army, and almost never comes up when talking about Chelsea’s future at centre-back. Given the expanse of talent Chelsea have in the squad, on loan and in the Academy at centre-back, Omeruo has virtually no chance of breaking through. The World Cup, then, could be his best chance to earn a profitable and satisfying permanent transfer.
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The squad Gernot Rohr announced Monday was only his provisional squad of 35 players. He has to reduce this to the final 23 players by June 4. Mikel John Obi and Victor Moses are certain inclusions, and Ola Aina is highly likely to make the cut. Omeruo, though, may still be on the bubble.