Chelsea are now expecting Benoit Badiashile to be fit to face Bournemouth after the international break.
That is according to Football London.
So, what is the latest on Benoit Badiashile? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t actually been able to use the £35m January signing from Monaco once since arriving at Stamford Bridge – not even in friendlies.
Badiashile suffered a serious hamstring injury at the end of last season, and has not featured for Chelsea since May 13th when the Blues recorded a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.
In the meantime, Pochettino has embedded Levi Colwill into the starting XI, while also signing the France international’s old defensive partner at Monaco, Axel Disasi
Therefore, Badiashile has a fight on his hands to win back his place, although it surely won’t be long until we see the 22-year-old back in action after his incredible start to life at Chelsea.
Pochettino has a headache on his hands at Chelsea as Badiashile nears return
Pochettino already has three top central defenders to choose from in Colwill, Disasi and Thiago Silva.
The Argentine has been using a three man centre-back system so far this season, so one of the trio will have to drop out, causing a real headache given the level of individual quality each player possesses.
In our view, Silva should come out – although Chelsea might miss his leadership skills.
On the face of it, a backline of Colwill, Badiashile and Disasi has few weaknesses, both technically and also in regards to their physical attributes.
While Silva is still a superb technician and an experienced presence, he is not as fast as he used to be, so opponents might target him as a weakness if they have a rapid forward to put on him.
Nevertheless, while it is a bit of a headache, it is also a nice problem for Pochettino to have – Badiashile’s return proves the Argentine has an embarrassment of riches in the centre of defence.
Leave a Reply