Chelsea needs to shut down Christian Pulisic for an extended period

Chelsea has gotten off to a fast start this season. The Blues sit atop the Premier League after eight matches and they already have a piece of silverware to show for their efforts in the form of the UEFA Super Cup. They have advanced in every side competition, as well. The performances haven’t always been pretty but Thomas Tuchel’s men are getting the results they need so far. Chelsea is getting production from all across the pitch. When one unit is having a down game, it knows it can rely on the others to pick it up.

The Blues have relied on some unlikely heroes this season—from Ross Barkley to Malang Sarr. Nevertheless, those previously dubbed reserves by supporters have played quite well. They have been forced into more crucial roles for a number of reasons, notably injuries, COVID restrictions and international break fatigue. Perhaps the most impressive part of this run though is the fact that Chelsea has done it all while missing a key attacking piece. Christian Pulisic suffered an ankle injury while on international duty over a month ago and hasn’t featured since early September. The Blues need to be cautious with his return, even more so than usual.

Chelsea needs to shut Christian Pulisic down for an extended period of time to allow him to properly recover from his latest ankle injury

Chelsea is no stranger to rehabbing attackers’ injuries. Both Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek missed extended periods of time back in 2019 due to severe injuries each suffered. Hakim Ziyech has presented another headache to physios over the last two seasons with his nagging knocks and Pulisic is no stranger to the training table either. The American is perhaps the worst of the bunch—although Loftus-Cheek is the unluckiest throughout his career—as he’s seemingly missed more matches than he’s played in since moving to west London.

The Blues know the talent they have in Pulisic. He’s one of the most promising young wide men in world football when on his game. However, the best ability in sport is availability. The 23-year-old has been injured for an astonishing 335 days since joining Chelsea in the summer of 2019. He’s missed a total of 38 games, which may not seem like a lot until one realizes that he’s been sidelined for an entire Premier League season. For reference, Eden Hazard—the individual he’s often compared to, unfairly or not—only sat out 21 games through injury during his seven years in London. The talent and skill are all there for the United States international, he’s just been unable to stay on the pitch for long stints at a time.

What’s the solution?

I’m not going to pretend as if I have an extensive knowledge of sports medicine, I’m simply a writer. Regardless, I believe there are things the club can do to help Pulisic get back to where he needs to be. Tuchel noted in his pre-Malmo press conference that the winger has been close to returning numerous times before suffering setbacks. Pulisic seemingly cannot shake this latest injury, despite originally being ruled out for just 10 days. Therefore, the Blues need to get him off his feet for the most part and let his body recover. Constant training and testing will do little to help his ankle heal properly. The same goes for rushing him back.

Pulisic cannot take the pitch as soon as his ankle stops hurting. His game is dependent upon his ability to make quick cuts and dribble by defenders, much like Hazard. Hazard has been vocal recently about the long-term impact of never letting himself recover fully and Pulisic cannot end up in the same boat. Chelsea needs to be mindful of the talent it possesses. Still just 23, the American has his entire career ahead of him. Pulisic needs to take some time to get his body right and back up to 100 percent again before stepping foot onto a competitive pitch.

The Blues won’t be heavily impacted by this treatment method either. They have enough depth up top to continue to function efficiently without their young star. Hudson-Odoi has proven himself more than capable of holding down the left winger spot in Pulisic’s absence. Furthermore, Tuchel’s tactical flexibility allows for Chelsea to play without wingers on any given day. The duo of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner has shown encouraging signs in the partnership’s early days. If Pulisic remains sidelined for a lengthy period of time, the Blues have enough attacking firepower to continue to pick up positive results.

Obviously this solution is less than ideal. The best place for Pulisic is in Chelsea’s starting XI week in and week out. This is how he’ll continue to grow as a player and put his talent to good use. Nevertheless, in order to do so, he needs to be himself. Pulisic brings way too much to the table when healthy for the team to risk his long-term health just to get onto the pitch at this moment in time. The Blues play a much less intense schedule over the course of the next month. All parties would benefit from Pulisic taking an extended break to continue to rest his ankle.

What do you think the Blues need to do to keep Pulisic healthy? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!