Chelsea: Three players who could be crucial in upcoming games

2. Callum Hudson-Odoi

Another great academy player who is in and out of the spotlight quite often is Hudson-Odoi. This academy star was always destined to reach great heights, but some thought that Chelsea was not the club where he could do that. Bayern Munich was after the player for several years and the Bavarians are still interested in him to this day. One of the main problems with Hudson-Odoi’s game is the lack of minutes and opportunities. This results in a little bit of inconsistency in his performances. Hudson-Odoi was the first choice for Tuchel in the wingback position when he took over, and that was a great opportunity for the young player to explore a new role, but it seems that ship sailed long ago. James eventually—and predictably—took back the role from Hudson-Odoi and the 20-year-old was returned to the bench.

This season, Hudson-Odoi is being used often, although still not regularly. He has made nine appearances in all competitions so far and he has also made six starts. That is not bad at this point in the season, however, this is his chance to prove to Tuchel that he is ready for the big leagues.

The player has a lot of competition around him though. Tuchel has decided to return him to an attacking position on both wings. These places are more suitable for his game style, especially in his left winger role. In this position, he has managed to score a goal and has also provided one assist so far. It seems like his wide attacking role is working out for him and he is enjoying the ability to only stay in the offensive half and not focus on defending as often. The Blues have a lot of brilliant defenders to take care of that area, so there is no need for a player like Hudson-Odoi to worry about it. Now, he can play freely and try to score more goals and provide more assists.