CHELSEA boss Enzo Maresca has questioned Mykhailo Mudryk’s potential by declaring: “You have to accept the way he is.”
Maresca’s comments came ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup clash against League Two Barrow, with Mudryk hoping to start after featuring just twice so far this season.
The Ukrainian winger was an initial £62million purchase from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, with Chelsea pipping Arsenal to his coveted signature.
But he so far has just five goals and four assists in 46 Premier League outings.
And Mudryk looks some way off hitting the numbers required to turn his transfer into an £89m deal.
The summer arrivals of Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto have also seen Mudryk slide down the pecking order.
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Cole Palmer, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku can operate out wide too.
And Mudryk has some work to do if he wants to live up to former manager Roberto de Zerbi’s claims that he can be a future Ballon d’Or winner.
Indeed, new Chelsea boss Maresca has appeared to suggest that such individual merits look extremely unlikely in the future.
Speaking ahead of the Barrow game, the Italian dismissed talk that Mudryk was lacking in confidence.
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Maresca instead declared that “Misha is Misha” before telling fans to “accept” what they see on the pitch.
But the Leicester Championship winner added that he retains hope that Mudryk can improve with more game time under his belt.
Maresca said: “I don’t think it’s a lack of confidence. Misha is Misha.
“You have to accept the way he is. Hopefully he can get minutes and do better.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s gaffer revealed exiled man Ben Chilwell is in contention to start against Barrow as he plots a host of changes to his XI.
Maresca added: “Hopefully we can give him (Chilwell) some minutes. The idea for him was to leave.
“In the moment that he’s here, he’s one of the squad, he’s training.”
On other players, he added: “Malo (Gusto) is available.
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“Romeo (Lavia) is not available. Hopefully he can be available for Brighton.”
“(Kiernan) Dewsbury-Hall, yes, probably (he will start).”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
