Chelsea host newly promoted side Luton Town Friday, as the Blues look to pick up their first three points under Mauricio Pochettino. While there have been some glimmers of hope in the first two matches, CFC only have one point to show for it. Pochettino will be determined to push his side to victory and begin their upwards trend. Let’s take a look at two young players who deserve the chance to make their mark in the match against the Hatters.
Noni Madueke deserves his Chelsea chance
Noni Madueke came into a diminished side in the second half of last season and brought a bit of life back to the squad. While he didn’t net as many goals as he would have liked, he injected a directness the team were missing. He certainly seemed to have a huge potential and would be an asset in this upcoming season.
However, after an impressive start to the U21 Euro for England, an injury limited the starlet’s playing time. Unfortunately, the issue also ruled Madueke out of any game time during the Blues’ preseason tour in the United States.
It now seems that Madueke is back to match fitness. Whether he’s back to full strength and can go for 90 minutes remains to be seen, but he certainly can be used in some capacity. Madueke should be the first of Pochettino’s youngsters to be given a chance to show what he can do. At 21 years of age, he’s shown glimmers of promise. But now it is time to show it week in and out.
Primarily being a right winger, Madueke can fit perfectly into a Chelsea side that has once again been riddled by injuries. With the form Raheem Sterling has been showing, it would be very unfair to bench him at this moment. Recent news though has told us Myhaillo Mudryk is now also sidelined with an injury, creating a vacancy at the winger position. Sterling is more than capable of moving over to the left, filling Mudryk’s spot, and Madueke can take his place on the right wing.
There is no better time and opponent to give Madueke this chance against. While Luton are certainly not going to be an easy time, it provides an excellent opportunity for Poch to try out another attacking option. The former could be extremely useful in the situation the west London team currently find themselves in and could prove to be an asset to the club.