5 Young Chelsea players that deserve game-time this preseason

3. Ian Maatsen

Dutch leftback Ian Maatsen was arguably Chelsea’s best player on loan last season. The 21-year-old played a crucial part in Burnley’s 1st place finish in the EFL Championship and their promotion to the Premier League under Vincent Kompany. It has been tough for the former to fully break into Chelsea’s first team. With the acquisition of Marc Cucurella last summer along with Ben Chilwell’s presence, the depth at leftback was already sorted and hence Maatsen was sent out on loan.

However, after his performances at Burnley, Maatsen has put himself in the conversation to compete for the position. He provides more attacking options at left back then Cucurella because of his ability on the ball with his dribbling, progressive passing and ball progression becoming an asset in the buildup and the final third.  His prowess in attack is shown by his 4 goals and 6 assists last season with Burnley.

Maatsen could improve defensively. His physical stature at 5’6 stifles any chances of him ranking highly in defensive metrics such as aerial duels. However according to FB ref, he did average 2.11 tackles a game along with 1.45 interceptions last season, showing his tenacity in the press and the use of his speed in keeping up with the runs of forwards. A player of Maatsen’s creativity and caliber at left back could be key next season with the injury woes of Ben Chilwell and the possible inconsistencies in form with Marc Cucurella.