TalkSPORT pundit Danny Murphy believes Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk should be given a run of games in the starting lineup by manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Ukrainian international has struggled since moving from Shakhtar Donetsk for £87m back in January but Murphy claims that the player simply hasn’t been given enough chances to show what he can do:
“When you look at Mudryk, they spent big money on him… His first game at Anfield you saw what he can do, The worst thing you can do when you’ve got a new player is delay his opportunity and make it bigger than it is.”
“You’ve got to give new players a run. Now, they need a left-winger to play instead of where Chilly (Chilwell) is playing because he’s a left-back. Give him five or six games! See!”
Mudryk has played just 67 minutes in Chelsea’s five matches in all competitions this campaign. However, it must be pointed out that the Ukrainian was injured for two of them, the 3-0 win over Luton and the victory against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup. He would surely have been selected to start the latter if he had been fit.
Just 8 starts under 4 different managers
The concern that many supporters will have about Mudryk’s current situation is that Pochettino is just one of four managers who have benched him since arriving at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter started him 5 times before his sacking in April. Bruno Saltor gave him 12 minutes off the bench in his only game in charge versus Liverpool, while Frank Lampard picked up in the starting lineup on just 3 occasions.
There is clearly something that Mudryk isn’t doing right in training which has concerned Pochettino and the rest. Reports have claimed that the 22-year-old is doing too much gym work but even that shows he is putting in the effort to get fit and playing. Hopefully, he will get more opportunities in upcoming fixtures.
