Chelsea always has been a tough place for youngsters to make a mark ever since Roman Abramovich bought the club. Despite boasting an impressive academy, it was not until the appointment of the Blues’ record goalscorer—Frank Lampard— that things started to change. Five academy graduates made over 25 appearances last season for Chelsea’s senior side. No player in the squad made more appearances than the Blues’ Player of the Year, Mason Mount. Reece James, who starred for England against Scotland, is amongst the top five in the appearance list, as well.
Needless to say, it is not all just academy players. Any team in the world would need to spend money on quality players to improve the squad. Unlike previous seasons, now the academy graduates are getting chances to prove that the club can rely on them instead of spending a huge amounts of money. Among them, Scotland’s Billy Gilmour and Wales’ Ethan Ampadu. While Gilmour was part of the squad, Ampadu was sent out on loan to Sheffield United.
However, the last few days have not been kind to the pair. Before diving into the unfortunate scenarios both now find themselves in, let’s dissect the scenarios they were thriving in beforehand.
Injuries and the presence of many experienced players ahead of him meant Gilmour’s didn’t have much chance to prove his worth. This came after the brilliant Man of the Match performances against Liverpool in the FA Cup and Everton in the Premier League respectively, just before the COVID-19 break in the 2019/20 season. An untimely injury during the restart meant he had to miss the beginning of the 2020/21 season.
Meanwhile, after impressing under former managers Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri, Ampadu was sent out on loan to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, where his playing time was extremely limited. Although his minutes improved in the recently concluded season, he played for Sheffield United, who suffered one of the worst records ever in Premier League history.
For these reasons, the upcoming pre-season is vital for both of them to prove to Tuchel and the hierarchy that they can be depended on, as opposed to the players Chelsea is currently being linked with. The Euros provide a chance for them to set the tone in front of the entire world before returning to Cobham. That’s exactly what the duo has done so far. Ampadu was impressive as a second-half substitute against Turkey for Wales. His maturity with and without the ball was praised by many. Two days later, it was Gilmour’s chance. In his full debut, the young Scot was awarded the Man of the Match award and was universally praised for his performance against England.
Just when things were beginning to look up for the pair, both of them were struck with bad luck. Ampadu—who was looking solid against tournament favorites, Italy—was harshly sent off on Sunday. As a result, he will be suspended for Wales in the Round of 16. Even if they win, he may not win his place back. On Monday, the Scottish FA announced Gilmour had tested positive for COVID-19 and now he will have to isolate for at least 10 days. That could mean his tournament might be over, unless Scotland makes it to the latter stages.
With players like Declan Rice and Aurelien Tchouameni linked with a move to Chelsea, it was their chance to be a standout on the world stage ahead of pre-season. The performances so far could have done the job for them, but more standout performances in Euro 2020 should have put them in a very promising position ahead of the 2021/22 season. Unfortunately, they probably won’t have that luxury any longer.
The status of both Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell for England’s last Euro 2020 group stage match was called into the question, as well. The pair are self-isolating after coming in close contact with Billy Gilmour. Luckily, their places in the Chelsea first team are cemented.