"Give five or six games!" - Danny Murphy urges Chelsea to give extended chance to 22-year-old star in Blues line-up
Danny Murphy has urged Chelsea to give Mykhailo Mudryk an extended run in the starting lineup amid a struggling start to life for the Ukrainian at Stamford Bridge.
Mudryk joined the Blues from Shakhtar Donetsk in January in a €70 million deal. He was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal before the Blues hijacked the move to lure the pacey winger to west London.
However, Mudryk has endured a difficult first period of his spell with Chelsea. He has lacked both form and game time, without a goal this season. He has made three substitute appearances under Mauricio Pochettino this season amounting to 66 minutes worth of action.
The Blues boss has preferred to play with Ben Chilwell in a left-wing role, but the plan isn't working. That's according to Murphy, who has suggested that Pochettino start playing Mudryk more (via English journalist Simon Phillips):
"(Chelsea) need a left-winger to play instead of where Ben Chilwell is playing because he’s a left-back. Give (Mykhailo Mudryk) five or six games!"
Pochettino's Blues have started the season woefully. They did beat newcomers Luton Town 3-0 and held in-form Liverpool to a 1-1 draw, but they lost 3-1 to 10-man West Ham United and 1-0 at home to Nottingham Forest.
Many Chelsea fans were excited when Mudryk was signed, given his impressive spell at Shakhtar. He bagged 12 goals and 17 assists in 44 games across competitions. He boasted speed, agility and creativity, but that has only sparingly been on display at Stamford Bridge.
Mudryk's former manager Roberto De Zerbi once tipped him as a future Ballon d'Or winner (via The Evening Standard):
"I think Mudryk can win the Ballon d’Or in the future. I know the value of Mudryk. He has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or."
The Ukraine international may feel aggrieved with the lack of game time given the amount of money the west Londoners spent on him. He signed an eight-year contract when he arrived in January.
Chelsea vice-captain Ben Chilwell admits he's still adapting to new role
Chilwell has started the season as a left winger, a new role for the English defender. The 26-year-old has predominantly been a left-back and doesn't boast the speed often associated with wingers.
The England international has admitted that he's still adapting but is eager to find success in his new position (via talkSPORT):
"I mean it's something new, but the manager has put his trust in me to play there, so I'm just trying to repay that trust."
Chiwell has made four appearances across competitions, providing one assist. He admits that he's still learning his new role and that he understands that he needs to contribute more in attack:
"I'm still learning as I'm going, I've been used to playing at left wing-back and before that left-back, so this is a bit higher up the pitch. When I'm playing that high up the pitch, I expect the pressure that's on me to contribute to goals."
Some argue that Chilwell is better playing further back at left-back. He has impressed in that role since joining Chelsea from Leicester City in 2020, and it's a position he is familiar with.