"He’ll be a massive boost for us" - Raheem Sterling keen on playing with Chelsea star who has returned from injury
Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling has admitted his excitement to see Christopher Nkunku return to action from injury. The England international insists that the forward's return will be a huge boost for the Blues.
The west London outfit secured Nkunku's services last summer from RB Leipzig for a reported £52 million.
The French forward, unfortunately, suffered a major knee injury in pre-season and was sidelined for the majority of the current campaign. He completed his recovery in December and made his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring his first goal for the club in the encounter.
Nkunku then had issues with his hip in January and missed five games across competitions as a result. The France international came off the bench in the Blues' 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday (January 31), finding the back of the net in the 71st minute.
Speaking to Sky Sports about Nkunku's return, Sterling said (as quoted by The Boot Room):
“It will be massive. I was really excited in pre-season with the type of player he is and I clicked really well with him. But again, you know, unfortunate with his injury."
The former Manchester City forward added:
"But he’s come back and he’ll be a massive boost for us and he’s a player that’s got experience as well.”
Raheem Sterling has registered 27 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea this season, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists.
Dimitar Berbatov makes prediction for Chelsea's PL fixture against Wolves
Former Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov has backed the Blues to bag all three points in their league fixture against Wolves at Stamford Bridge this weekend. The Bulgarian, while acknowledging the club's inconsistency this season, insists that they have a special squad that can secure the victory.
While giving his predictions for this weekend's Premier League fixtures, Berbatov told Metro:
"As unpredictable as Chelsea are, they do play good football sometimes because they have special players."
"They are inconsistent though, just like Manchester United this season. Look at the game at Anfield, Liverpool smashed them."
He added:
"But in this game, Chelsea have a good opportunity to win it at home."
Prediction: 1-0
The Blues have in fact displayed inconsistent form in the Premier League this season. Mauricio Pochettino's side are tenth in the table after nine wins, four draws, and nine losses this season.
Chelsea are 12 points adrift of the top four. The Blues have no European fixtures this term after finishing 12th in the league standings last season.