While many Chelsea fans are still sceptical about the role Andreas Christensen will play this season, the man himself doesn’t seem too concerned.
Andreas Christensen returned to Chelsea this summer after spending two seasons on loan with Borussia Monchengladbach. With the arrival of Antonio Rudiger, doubts have been raised over his first-team status for this season. However, the player is talking as if he knows he has a significant part to play.
"I’m more confident, I feel ready for bigger things. I was up against a lot of top strikers, big teams…It’s just about getting all the tactical work in…Right now I’m concentrating on just trying to learn what [Conte] wants from me in the position. It’s just great to be back. – via Evening Standard"
The Dane was one of the loan army cadets who truly benefited from the system. Gladbach’s willingness to commit to a two-year deal created the stability that the youngster needed to burgeon as a talent. Starting regularly for the Bundesliga team, Christensen came on leaps and bounds.
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Back in West London, Blues fans were hoping that he would be handed a major role for the coming season. However, the signing of Antonio Rudiger put a spoke in the wheel. The 24-year-old is another promising centre-back and thus fears were that Christensen would push for the exit.
Antonio Conte started the Dane in the last pre-season game and he impressed. The boss seems to rate Christensen and looks to be setting him up for a rotation role.
On Christensen’s part, he seems to be excited about what the season has in store. Even though he hasn’t revealed whether he has properly discussed his squad status for the campaign, the defender appears confident that he will be heavily involved.
This is certainly great news for Chelsea fans. They have been waiting to see an academy graduate take a prominent role in the first team. It could have been Nathaniel Chalobah, but he got fed up and moved to Watford.
Christensen, though, is more proven. At Gladbach he came up against giants like Bayern Munich and, more importantly, man-marked top European stars like Robert Lewandowski.
With Chelsea’s heavier schedule, the Dane should enjoy plenty of football. It will then be up to him to take his opportunities and prove that he belongs in the Blues’ starting eleven.
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How optimistic are you? Can you see Christensen featuring a lot? Let us know your thoughts below!