Chukwuemeka was considered to be surplus to coach Enzo Maresca's requirement and be on his way out of the club. But failure to find a suitable landing spot has led to him being an after thought in team selection at the club.
The 20-year-old was touted to be a big player when he first made his way into the Blues from Aston Villa's academy. Since joining the club, Chukwuemeka has not enjoyed good health as injuries often proved to be a hindrance.
The arrival of Enzo Maresca proved to be a new dawn at Chelsea and many players were expected to be on their way out as the Italian had his way of setting up the team. Of the players that were there on the team, Chukwuemeka certainly did not seem like a player that the manager would want to offload.
His ability on the ball is like no other young attacking midfielder. Technically he is supreme and can score some great goals. However, Maresca has stated that the abundance of talent at his disposal means that he would not be able to give Chukwuemeka enough playing time required for him to meet his potential.
Enzo Maresca could use the help Carney Chukwuemeka has to offer
Chelsea is set to play a lot of games this season. At the very minimum the club could be involved in 60 games if they make deep runs in all the competitions they compete. Despite having an array of talents in all positions, injuries could lead to Maresca having selection headaches. The likes of Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Pedro Neto are all capable players who are very difficult to play against. But what makes it difficult is that these names have a bad past with injuries.
Chukwuemeka is no different, however, the limited playing time could prove to help him stay fit for cup games and Conference League encounters. His presence could boost the already stacked Blues lineup. In the game against Barrow, the 20-year-old created some good chances. He could have got himself an assist and probably even scored, but it was not to happen on the night.
His performance against Barrow would have given Maresca another reason to trust in Chukwuemeka and his abilities. The midfielder combined well with Tyrique George and had some great glides through the Barrow midfield which was an indication of what he had in store.
While this is not a great situation to be in, Chukwuemeka could use this as motivation and play some good football this season. His problem has been injuries and if he just manages to keep himself available whenever the manager calls him, things could get better for him.