Christopher Nkunku’s lack of first team action for Chelsea is an issue which is only going to grow, and while manager Enzo Maresca already seems to be getting tired of questions about it – he’d better get used to them.
Until Nkunku starts playing or leaves, they’re going to continue. He’s too high profile to be getting just Conference League starts. Last night in the press conference a journalist asked if “Nkunku would like to play more” and Maresca struck back pretty harshly:
“[Yes], and I would like to have long hair… That’s how it is,” the bald manager explained with a smile.
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Enzo Maresca shouts at his players at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho huffs and puffs off the ball. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Darren Bent on talkSPORT.
It’s a little disrespectful – to the bald community as well as Nkunku. Maresca then cited one of the Frenchman’s teammates as an example of why the former RB Leipzig man should be patient:
“Joao Felix played a Premier League game the other day against Leicester and Christo will for sure play Premier League games. But we have many players; we try to share minutes with all of them and keep them happy, even knowing sometimes it is not possible.
“Now is not the moment or the time to think about January [transfers]. We still have many, many games, especially in December.”
Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, and Enzo Maresca in training
Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, and Enzo Maresca in training
Nkunku faces crucial December push for importance
Maresca has a point – from this point until the spring there are so many games that the A team / B team dynamic is going to break down, and we can expect Nkunku to get his Premier League shot soon enough. A week ago it seemed like Felix was in a similar position, and he’s suddenly back in the frame.
The bad news for Nkunku in that example, of course, is that Felix is his direct competition for minutes, and a strong showing from the Portuguese only hurts his chances of more playing time.